School: Pittsworth State High School (QLD)

The school developed a suitable site to be used as a wetlands area within the school boundary.  The project used the available catchment area and developed a basin and “dam wall” to trap water flow and sustain a variety of plants and water habitat insects and creatures. The wetlands area is being used for instructional purposes for junior science classes and also by senior biology and multistrand science classes to study aquatic life, eco systems, water quality and wildlife systems. The project has also been successful in managing erosion and providing a ponding effect for high runoff area within the school waterway system.

School: Pullenvale State School (QLD)

Students from Pullenvale State School were involved in rehabilitating an area of the grounds with native plants that will attract butterflies and other species to the area. The students have designed the butterfly habitat and researched and selected the native plants that have been used in the area.   All 385 students have benefited from educational activities that have been built around the butterfly habitat.

School: Broulee Primary School (NSW)

The aim of this project was to develop a local indigenous food garden.  All students at the school have been learning Dhurga; the local Aboriginal language. The garden was created in consultation with the local indigenous community and members of National Parks and Wildlife Service.  It has created a wonderful learning space for children allowing them to touch and taste edible indigenous plants and has extended their understanding of the local Aboriginal culture. 

School: Bossley Park High School (NSW)

Bossley Park High school has implemented a plastic bottle recycling program to cut waste, reduce visual pollution in the school and local environment and support and reinforce the existing recycling program run by the council.  Students at the high school also created posters to advertise the initiative throughout the school community ensuring the programs success.

School: Cleveland Street High School (NSW)

Cleveland Street City High school is an inner city high school which has a population of children who are new to Australia and who have little knowledge about their new homelands native flora.  The grant was used to re-establish five degraded and compacted garden beds and replant with natives and selected exotics.

The school received advice from advice from botanists and garden specialists from the Royal Botanic Gardens and Landcare. Weeds and noxious plants were removed and garden beds were restored and these will now form an integral part of the curricula of science, welfare and
settlement programs.

School: Woolianna School (NT)

After examining Cane Toads and the threat that they pose to local biodiversity, students planned a strategy to control the population.  The strategy included trappings, toadmusters and control of eggs.  Students have recorded the number of toads captured and where they were captured from.  They have submitted the data to frogwatch to record on their national database.

School: Stradbroke Primary School (SA)

TAFE Land Management and Conservation Students helped students from Stradbroke Primary School plant native shrubs, trees and water plants along the Upper Fourth Creek.  This is an ongoing project which involves a long term commitment to bush rehabilitation, revegetation and restoration of endemic species to the Southern Brown Bandicoot Corridor.

School: East Marden Primary School (SA)

Students have been involved in the development of an environmental walking trail located on the school grounds.  The students have participated in weed control and planting of indigenous seedlings.  Students have also developed an “Environmental Walking Trail” brochure which is used by students across the school in environmental studies classes.  The local Kaurna group granted East Marden Primary the use of the name Wakwakko Wirra (Children’s Garden) for the trail.

School: Footscray City College (VIC)

Using an Airwatch Kit, students from Footscray City College monitored the air quality around the College to look at aerosols and small particle pollutants. They looked at the reported incidents of asthma in the school and related the asthma attacks to air quality on those days.  The students also monitored and identified local sources of likely contributors to the pollution and suggest management strategies to control these.

School: Keilor East Preschool (VIC)

A worm farm was purchased to provide compost and castings to the use on the school gardens.  “Countess Compost” visited the school to speak to the children about composting and worm farming.  In conjunction with the visit, all families received packages from the Moonee Valley City Council that contained booklets about sustainability in the preschool and in the home.  The booklet covered such topics as energy saving, water saving, children in the garden and biodiversity.

School: St Micheal’s Parish School (VIC)

Students from year six at St Michael’s Parish School along with their prep buddies planted over 80 native plants throughout the school grounds.  Together they dug, planted, watered mulched. Tagged and measured each of the plants.

In addition to the tree planting activity students from year four and five attended an outdoor workshop provided by a local horticulturalist. Students took several cuttings from the nursery and these have now been tagged and housed in the school’s greenhouse. These cuttings will form the basis of next years buddy tree planting day.

Both projects have not only enhanced the physical school environment but have also provided an opportunity to foster a relationship between year six students and their prep ‘buddy” whilst participating in a common task.

School: Reece High School (TAS)

Forty Students from Reece High school assisted various adult landcare groups in foreshore revegetation on the Rubicon Estuary.  Activities included rice grass removal, clearing of weeds and the revegetation of the Rubicon Estuary Foreshore damaged by storms.  Students have reported on their experiences and  have identified the importance of community landcare groups to prevent degredation of areas by natural causes, population growth and environmrtal vandals.

School: Mountain Heights Community School (TAS)

This project involves students from years seven and eight adopting and restoring an old walking track adjacent to the Mountain Heights District School to its original state, providing markers and constructing signage for the path.  The track will be used for environment studies and maintaining well being opportunities for students.  It will also be made available to the community.

School: Armadale Primary School (WA)

Students from Armadale Primary School planted over 400 seedlings at Patching Crossings on Neerigen Brook, as part of a revitalisation project for the stream. These plantings will repair an ecosystem that should resemble the previous ecosystem before it was lost to human activity.  In addition it is hoped that this project will prove valuable for the southern brown bandicoot in the future.

School: Chapman Valley (WA)

This project was developed in partnership with the local shire and community group to enhance the Nanson Picnic area and revegetate a section of the Chapman River. A cleared section of the area was planted with a variety of local seedlings which provided refuge for native flora and fauna and a native seed bank for the local permaculturist to access in the future.