Around The College

Year 12 Environmental Science Excursion

On the 26th of March, the Year 12 environmental science class went on an excursion to Werribee Zoo to learn more about the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, which is an endangered animal that our class is doing a case study on. Werribee Zoo has a captive breeding program for this animal. Overall, the excursion was very informative and fun. At the start of the excursion, a zoo educator presented the threats faced by the Eastern Barred Bandicoot, such as habitat loss, disease and introduced species, and the strategies or plans that are being implemented by Zoos Victoria in partnership with other organisations to bring back the species from the brink of extinction. The zoo educator also spoke about a range of other things such as koala restoration, the ranger community centre, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), and how Zoos Victoria is playing a vital role in bringing back the 27 fighting extinction species from nearly going extinct. 

Our class then carried out field studies using quadrats of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot’s habitat. The survey confirmed the importance of grasslands for the survival of the bandicoots. Urbanisation is causing the decline in the grasslands cover, hence the decline in bandicoots. 

In the third session, our class explored the various exhibits at the zoo, followed by a guided safari bus tour. We got to learn a lot about the animals that live in the savannah such as rhinos, emus, endangered bison’s, and antelopes. 

Brentwood is a fighting extinction school too. Every year Brentwood collects several old mobile phones to support Zoos Victoria’s ‘They are calling on you’ campaign to protect the Gorillas. 

Yousouf Palitanawala

Student, Year 12 Enviro

Year 11 Environmental Science

Our Year 11 Environmental Science has been learning about the interconnectedness of the four spheres of Planet Earth by applying Systems Thinking. The class carried out several experiments to explore the concepts related to Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere. 

Year 10 Environmental Science

This term, the Year 10 Environmental Science class has studied the impacts of increasing CO2 levels on the Earth’s global temperature. Students carried out simulations to confirm that carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas that traps heat. The class compared the effect of ocean acidification due to increasing CO2 concentration on the molluscs in our marine ecosystems.