Environmental Education in Action!
Federal Minister for the Environment Dr David Kemp was presented with a dozen eggs from the school chook pen - a very special gift!
Students planted to create shade and leaf littler for local skinks to live in.
Students at Bentleigh West Primary School in Victoria organised their Tree Day event with help from a local AMP Financial Planner. Their aim was to plant species to enhance biodiversity values within the school gardens.
On the day activities included a visit from Federal Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Dr David Kemp, followed by a student-led tour of the school grounds for parents and other guests.
Students showed off their permaculture veggie patches with scarecrows made out of recycled materials, plus the compost bins, worm farms and chook pen for their food scraps.
Students were so inspired by their Tree Day experience that they have taken their environmental education even further. Here's what they went on to achieve:
- A Certificate of Merit in Sustainability from The Department of Education and Training.
- An invitation to join The Gould League's Open Schools Program.
- A Landcare grant to create ‘stormwater cleansing' wetlands in the school grounds.
- Accreditation as a ‘Waste Wise School' from EcoRecycle Victoria.
- Accreditation as a ‘Water Wise School' by Melbourne Water.
Tree Day organiser Leonie proudly says, "The school has gone completely green! We are developing other strategies to minimise waste and teach students about environmentalism and sustainability. All this started with ‘Schools Tree Day'!"
