Aitken College Newsletter

Sustainability and Agriculture

Schools Tree Day – Golden Sun Moth

On Friday 29 July, Aitken College participated in the Schools Tree Day. Forty students were involved. This included our Sustainability class leaders from Cumberland and Dunhelen as well as students from Interact.

 

National Tree Day was co-founded in 1996 by Planet Ark and Olivia Newton-John. It has now grown into Australia's largest community tree planting and nature protection event. This year Aitken College used Schools Tree Day to help plant grasses that would be suitable for the Golden Sun Moth, which is endangered and found within the local area.

Figure 1. Students planting Wallaby Grass and Spear Grass
Figure 1. Students planting Wallaby Grass and Spear Grass

The habitat suitable for the Golden Sun Moth includes native grasslands and open grassed woodlands. Adult males will not fly more than 100 metresfrom its suitable habitat. Just a fraction of the Golden Sun Moth population still exists today due to loss of habitat because of farming, the introduction of exotic species and land development. The Sun Moth has a dependence on its host plant, Wallaby Grass and Spear Grass, making the survival of these native grasses of critical importance.

Figure 2. Golden Sun Moth
Figure 2. Golden Sun Moth

Mr Dwayne Ganci

Sustainability Coordinator