Eco Schools 2019 grants awarded and project summaries

Harbord Public School

Unwrapped

After completing a recent litter audit at the school, food packaging waste was identified as the main litter type. Knowing that this would end up in the ocean and local waterways, students and staff identified the need to reduce food related packaging entering the school. It was also identified that the school community needed to be educated about the impacts of plastic pollution and waste. A three-pronged project will provide a thorough education to students and staff, launch beeswax wraps and involve families and community members in the initiatives and the project.

Hilltop Road Public School

Managing Waste and Ecosystems

We currently recycle paper products, but most of our school's waste ends up in landfill. After surveying the school's waste, we will implement a school-wide composting program and worm farm. We will introduce sorting station bins within the school. Students will drive the project by collecting data, monitoring waste and educating students and the wider school community about the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. We will also look at ecosystems and plant native trees and plants in our school gardens to encourage native bees.

Holy Family Primary School

Holy Family Eco Warrior's Garden Project

The development of an outdoor environmental space at Holy Family will allow student involvement to design and establish a garden with composting systems. Maintaining these will improve knowledge and understanding of how sustainability impacts student lives. Inquiry Based Learning is a school focus, so this project will develop the conceptual understanding of students through experiential inquiry. This endeavour will offer alternate pathways for learning for disengaged students. Composting and sustainable gardening methods will reduce greenhouse gases and therefore the environmental footprint of the school.

Huntingdon Public School

Engaging in the world of Native Bees

The project will raise awareness of bees in our school and support raising the next generation of bee advocates. Engaging in the 100 Hives in 100 Schools project aims to raise the profile of Native Bees for future generations and highlight their value in terms of strategies for diversifying beekeeping in the agricultural and food industry, as well as increasing the numbers of Native Bees across the Mid North Coast as a whole. This is implemented highlighting the use of sustainable practices in working with Native Bees.

Jamberoo Public School

The JPS Rainforest and Bush Tucker Gardens Project

This project aims to provide plants for both a rainforest garden and a bush tucker garden by March 2020. We would like our students to develop an understanding of their local plants, both rainforest species and bush tucker/bush medicine plants. This project will be undertaken by the school's gardening club (which includes all interested students, K-6) and Indigenous students, but will benefit all students. A current garden with a history focus will be enhanced by adding rainforest species and additional plants will be added to a bush tucker garden in a 'bush tucker' bed of an already established vegetable garden. All students, K-6, will have access to these plants to enhance their knowledge of the original local environment in the Jamberoo Valley.

Katoomba High School

Reducing Waste, Growing Biodiversity

This project is focused on creating biodiversity and reducing waste through the school's 'Environmental Collective' comprising staff and students. Through developing small gardens (sensory and seasonal) students will learn about organic gardening and use garden produce in the classroom for cooking. Reducing waste through the recycling of organic matter and all plastics will reduce our school's ecological footprint and improve habitats for local species. Our school garden will provide a green space for students where they will learn about organic gardening, waste reduction systems such as composting and worm farming and link the physical activity of gardening to wellbeing, healthy food choices and enhanced natural environments. The project will create more opportunities for community involvement and student leadership.

Lake Cargelligo Central School

Kartjellakoo (Wiradjuri meaning 'he had a coolamon')

Kartjellakoo Indigenous Garden project seeks to recognise and empower Wiradjuri as traditional owners of the country and acknowledge the presence of Barkindji and Ngiyampaa tribes on these lands. Students will be supported to learn about their natural environment from the perspectives of their Elders.

Leeville Public School

Habitat and Homes for Leeville Gliders

This project is based on the Great Eastern Ranges 'Glideways' program which aims to help schools develop awareness of corridors and habitat connectivity. It is an environmental education program equipping students with understanding of general conservation principles and sustainable land management practices using Gliders as a flagship species. Through practical activities, it strengthens local wildlife corridors and promotes understanding in students and the school community of the importance of maintaining tree corridors in rural areas. The project incorporates educational experiences that acknowledge Aboriginal peoples, protect significant areas of habitat and recognises threats to biodiversity. It teaches how individuals can help save threatened species. The project will encourage the local community to protect and restore the glider corridor along Shannonbrook Creek by demonstrating good environmental stewardship of the creek through the school grounds and equipping students to teach others through what they have learnt.

Lucas Heights Community School

Sensory Garden – Support Unit

Our project will create an enriched sensory environment to promote relaxation, de-escalation from anxiety episodes, reflection, observation and immersion in the natural world, and learning from the natural environment. Endemic plants will be prioritised with a view to developing a sensory self-sustaining ecosystem, specifically encouraging a range of native animals. The design will include areas for solitary time and student/staff interaction. The project will restore native vegetation and habitat to the school environment.

Manning Adventist School

Bush Food Garden and Propagation House

The project will incorporate a bush food garden around the play area where the students can walk, learn and tend to the plants and trees. Local edible native plant species will be propagated and planted for consumption and education. The students will be responsible for the care and upkeep of the garden. The gardens will form part of the front of the school for practical and aesthetic reasons.

Marayong Public School

Accessible Outdoor Learning Space for our School Community

The purpose of our project is to create a wheel-chair accessible outdoor learning environment based on fundamentals of sustainability. The project will give all students, regardless of ability, the opportunity to assist in co-creating and design thinking skills with the outdoor learning space being used to promote connection, preservation and protection of our local environment.

Maria Regina Catholic Primary School

Ribbit!' Let's Grow Together in our Habitat Sensory Garden

The primary goal for re-imagining this school space is to create a place that promotes social and emotional wellbeing for ALL students, in particular, those with high needs, both physical and emotional, and to enhance and nurture local biodiversity. Construction and establishment of a vertical garden that has a strong focus on bug friendly plants and habitats. The plants will be interspersed with bug hotel/habitat structures designed and built by the students and the sandpit area will be repurposed into a frog pond and lizard habitat area, and water for local wildlife in the dry summer months. The new native Sensory Garden will have a range of smells, colours and textures to stimulate the senses, reduce anxiety, regulate moods and provide visual appeal.

Mater Maria Catholic College Warriewood

Warriewood Waste Warriors

Currently, there is a single waste stream with everything going to the 'Tip'. An Earth Care committee of staff and students was formed and we have developed a School Environment Management Plan (SEMP) with the immediate goal to remove all food waste from our general waste stream. This food waste will be composted and used in established and newly established gardens. Initial use of the produce from the gardens will be as a renewable resource for the teaching of Food Technology. We also are withdrawing plastic bottles and glass from the waste stream and using the income from a Return and Earn initiative (Rockdale) to help fund some of our composting work and equipment. Also, we have established a native Bee Hive to help with pollination. A worm farm is also being purchased. The project will achieve a greater level of sustainability for our local environment and decrease our waste management costs as a school. It will also create a healthier environment.

McCarthy Catholic College Emu Plains

A Sustainable Riparian Zone on the Nepean River

The project will investigate the Riparian Zone as a unique ecosystem on the Nepean River that has been damaged by human activity and introduced species. Students will learn how to reduce and manage waste at school and at home, as well as working with the broader community, specifically, Mulgoa Valley Landcare, to achieve sustainability outcomes by identifying introduced fauna and flora to implement an Environmental Action Plan to reduce pests and weeds.

Moorebank High School

Project Sensory Garden, The Art Courtyard, Moorebank High School

Through this project, we will investigate how students engage with the learning spaces around the school. Students will investigate data from other schools, establishments, and experts and use this knowledge to determine plants that should be planted in a sensory garden, of which the school will use to maintain positive student wellbeing. Further, students will use their knowledge to determine which native plants and animals are most suitable for use in aquaponics, relationships between plants and animals and examine sustainable food practices including plant care and healthy eating. Raised garden beds will be constructed to support these activities. Trust funds will be used to establish the sensory garden and a large-scale aquaponics system by purchasing associated garden materials, equipment, development of curriculum resources, and professional development.

Muirfield High School

Muirfield Kitchen and Sensory Garden

The project seeks to build a combined sustainable kitchen and sensory garden for the school community. Both Special Needs and mainstream students will be involved in all aspects of the project from planning and design to construction through to ongoing maintenance and planting schedules with each phase linked to elements of the curriculum. The aims of the project are as follows:

• Educate students and staff on environmental sustainability.
• Educate students about growing food and preparing healthy meals.
• Create an area of therapeutic value. An area of calm for students needing a time out.

Nambucca Valley Christian Community School

Engaging in the world of Native Bees

The project will raise awareness of bees in our school and support raising the next generation of bee advocates. Engaging in the 100 Hives in 100 Schools project aims to raise the profile of native bees for future generations and highlight their value in terms of strategies for diversifying beekeeping in the agricultural and food industry, as well as increasing the numbers of native bees across the Mid North Coast as a whole. This is implemented highlighting the use of sustainable practices in working with native bees.

Oran Park Public School

Garden and Environment-Support Unit

The garden project aims to build awareness and knowledge of ecological sustainability. The special needs students will be exposed to real-life, hands-on learning experiences with nature, developing life-long skills to maintain a flourishing kitchen garden. The project will:

1. Upgrade the garden to include an additional raised garden bed, wheelchair access, a seating area for emotional regulation and an outside learning space.
2. Upgrade the composting system to include a deep compost bin to enrich our garden soil and plants.
3. Add attachments to the water tank so students can access rainwater, reinforcing sustainability practices.
4. Plant a vegetable kitchen garden that will provide a platform for a range of learning opportunities, linked with curriculum outcomes.

Raleigh Public School

Raleigh Public School Native Bee Project

The school places a high value on environmental sustainability and have our own vegetable and native food gardens, orchard and chickens, and implements a 'Garden to Plate' concept where once a fortnight a meal is cooked using produce from our school. Engaging in the 100 Hives in 100 Schools project would raise awareness for future generations and increase the numbers of Native Bees across our area. Using sustainable practices to work with Native Bees helps educate our students on their importance within our environment. We also could use the honey in our Kids in the Kitchen cooking program.

Richmond Christian College

Richmond's Riches Kitchen Garden

The Richmond's Riches Kitchen Garden project is the first step in establishing a Kitchen Garden at our school, with the long-term goal of catering monthly meals for the homeless population of Ballina in order to provide students with the opportunity to give back to the community. A patch of our playground has been converted to new classrooms and we wish to turn the outside classroom walls into vertical vegetable gardens with garden beds at the base. In addition, we want to establish a labyrinth in our playground for improved mental health and well-being.

Ryde Public School

Sensory Garden and Outdoor Learning Environment

The sensory garden/outdoor learning space project will improve the students emotional, physical and cognitive development. It will help students develop life skills including emotional regulation, independence, they gain an understanding of time and develop patience and persistence. This project is beneficial to students with sensory processing issues, such as autism, anxiety and ADHD. Sensory gardens teach non-verbal children how to participate in a cooperative effort thus developing their communication skills. The outdoor space is transformed into a colourful, aromatic aesthetically pleasing landscape that is an extension of the school's indoor classroom rather than just an outdoor space.

Ryde Secondary College

Ryde Secondary College: Enhancing Environmental Teaching and Learning

The project seeks to establish a vegetable garden will allow Special Needs students to experience, first-hand, the qualities and requirements of the garden, while they are learning about the scientific and environmental principles underpinning success.

We will embed sustainability education into several Key Learning Areas, and create teaching and learning resources, by identifying and optimising linkages between curricula and the potential of the garden as a teaching and learning resource. This will support our teachers, facilitate learning about the environment and sustainability, and initiate discussion/ exploration of these issues.

Shalvey Public School

Connecting to Country Garden

The project seeks to create a garden to promote and educate students about the traditional custodians of our land, the Dharug people. As a school that currently has 31% of Aboriginal students and 33% Pacific Islander students, we are committed to them exploring and making connections to their cultural heritage. We will investigate plant species that are suitable for a bush tucker garden that deepens connection to country and allow for authentic links to culture to occur. We will have a designated outdoor learning space for the specific educational purpose. Many of our students need exposure and a better understanding of where food comes from and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through healthy food choices. This grant will allow our kitchen garden program to be enhanced while building community connections.

Shoal Bay Public School

Our aim is to design, build and maintain a sustainable organic orchard row. It will be used to support the school's eco-warrior program and work to educate students about the value of sustainable living, and benefits of composting. The school will eliminate harmful chemicals and attract bee pollination. The produce will be sold to fund on-going costs with excess being donated to our local aged and respite care facility. Students will sample fruit. In the long-term, the school will engage the local community by inviting them to submit citrus recipes to compile a 'Squeeze the Day' recipe book.

St Bede's Catholic Primary School

Through the senses we are connecting with our environment

St. Bede's will develop a 'Sensory Gardens Trail' where students can connect with nature through their senses in an educational, restorative and therapeutic way. The trail will be primarily 'sensory' and include scented and edible plants, textured objects, wind chimes, water feature and native plants and habitats. We will incorporate hardscape elements such as student-made mosaic tiles inspired by Indigenous art, pathways, birdhouses, class totems, lizard lounges and a native bee hotel. This project is inclusive of all students, teachers, parents and the broader community's participation.

St Clair High School

The Farm

The goal of this project is to help students develop an appreciation of the finite nature of resources and the impact of their use on the environment. Students will investigate managed systems and how they impact the sustainability of our food production and explore problems and opportunities considering environmental, technical and usability constraints. By building an Agriculture Farm, students will be able to focus on managed environments, including plantations and will investigate the sustainable supply of agriculturally produced materials.

St John Paul II Catholic College

Let's Clean Up Our School

The project seeks to address a recent decline in playground litter and will benefit the school by helping to make students more aware of the impact their actions have on the environment. Students will be encouraged to understand how to correctly recycle and take pride in their school community.

St John's College Woodlawn

Restoration and Rehabilitation of College Rainforest

In the 1960s, Father Stephen Maloney, student, teacher and Principal, had a dream to create a rainforest on the grounds of the College. He set aside 1 ha for his vision and planted rainforest species around the hoop pines and bunya nut pines that were planted when the College was established in 1931. Today, majestic trees grace the skyline, as well as an understory of weeds such as okra, privet, lantana and camphor laurel. Our aim is to restore the rainforest to its former glory and plant out an understory of rainforest species. In addition, the project would develop a learnscape that would include outdoor seating, sensory pathway, species signage information and a hide for watching native animals.

St Mary's High School Gateshead

Land and Sea in Harmony

While the aquaculture/aquaponics project is designed primarily for the education of our HSC Marine Studies students, it will be a key addition to our wonderfully active and successful Landcare Management Program. The project is designed to break from the conventional classroom and immerse students in a world of experiential learning. By using aqua-culture as an educational tool, we aim to interactively teach valuable STEM concepts and inspire students with ideas that can really benefit humanity. Aqua-culture will be a fun and easy way to engage students in sustainable technologies and alternative ways of growing food.

St Rose Catholic Primary School

The focus of the project is inquiry-based learning around the role of pollinators. Students will learn about environmental sustainability and biodiversity by examining the problem of the declining native bee population in Australia and around the world. With the help of native bee experts, we will establish a hive of native stingless bees, create bee hotels for solitary native bees and plant native flora, herbs and vegetables, designed to support the bees, and ensure they thrive and in turn improve the pollination rates in our vegetable and fruit gardens. The end goal being the creation of a very rich, biodiverse environment where our students can explore and learn about the role of nature in our lives through a hands-on, engaging approach.

Tallowood Steiner School

Welcoming Native Bees

The school is currently implementing a project to rehabilitate the waterway that runs through the school grounds and revegetating its banks with native species. As part of this ongoing project, we would like to introduce some native bee colonies and other habitats for native wildlife. We also want to raise awareness of bees in our schools and Little Star Bee Sanctuary currently has a project in our region where we can support raising the next generation of bee advocates. This will highlight the use of sustainable practices in working with native bees.

The Beach School

The Beach School Water Wise Urban Food Garden

The Beach School water-wise urban food garden is a project in which to redesign and construct the current kitchen food garden to a water-wise wicking bed system. The current food garden relies on watering using overhead sprinklers or rain. This results in a large amount of water wastage and poor-quality crops during dry periods. Wicking beds store water below soil allowing moisture to be more evenly distributed throughout the soil, creating better growing conditions allowing plants to thrive. Wicking beds can add value to school kitchen gardens as it limits the need to ensure someone is looking after them during school holidays. This project offers both students and the local community an example of how effective wicking bed systems are in growing food in urban environments.

The Entrance Public School

The Entrance School and Community Kitchen Garden

We will establish a kitchen garden on a currently disused and overgrown area of our school playground. The garden will be a resource for all students to learn and develop their knowledge of environmental sustainability. We will also develop a detailed Garden to Plate program featuring a range of accessible resources and recipes, which can be implemented using our existing portable kitchen. The students from our special needs class will work with mainstream buddy students to grow vegetables which they will then be able to use in their weekly cooking lessons, providing them with authentic and meaningful learning opportunities. An important feature of our project is its strong links to our community. Our collaboration with The Entrance Food Hub will enable us to reach out to families and the wider community to promote the environmental and health benefits of eating locally grown produce.

Towradgi Public School

Outdoor Learning Area: Sensory Gardens, Towradgi Public School

Towradgi Public School students are engaged in a STEAM Project involving the development of an Outdoor Learning Area. During the initial design process, students specifically identified the need for an inclusive space for all students and have requested the inclusion of Sensory Gardens to more effectively cater for the needs of the four support unit classes. The sensory garden will allow students to explore the environment through sensory stimulation (boosted by colour, sound, touch, taste and smell) and enhance students' knowledge of environmental sustainability. It will also allow for increased integration between mainstream and support classes during outdoor learning activities.

Trinity Anglican College Albury

Refutree Project

The 'Refutree Project' will allow all students and staff at Trinity Anglican College to act as environmental stewards and plant 1300 trees, shrubs and ground covers in the fragmented remnant vegetation located around the school boundaries. The college will purchase and plant an additional 500 plants each year. As the Thurgoona growth corridor continues its rapid expansion it places increasing pressure on the three threatened species (Sloane's froglet, regent honeyeater, and the squirrel glider) which are known to inhabit the area. Students will also construct and install 35 squirrel glider nesting boxes in the area and monitor their occupancy.

Trinity Catholic Primary School Kemps Creek

Building upon recent food waste and recycling initiatives at the school, the project seeks to set up a worm farm and compost bin to more effectively use the school's food waste. The compost and worm produce will be used to enhance our vegetable gardens. Other activities include conducting a waste audit to obtain a clear idea of the impact our weekly Nude Food Day is having and then hopefully increase the number of nude food days. Through the data collected from the waste audit, we can also develop other avenues to recycle our waste and put it back into the school.

Westmead Public School

The project seeks to develop a Kitchen Garden where students will be encouraged to experience gardening and develop an understanding of growing plants. This garden space will provide valuable experiences for students to learn about plants, food sources, sustainability and more.

Wyndham College

Wyndham's school kitchen garden

The project will provide Kinaesthetic learning outcomes for students with learning difficulties and social integration issues and improve the College's environment and wildlife habitat. Our aim is to establish several student-led curriculum driven projects where learning is integrated with real-world hands-on activities that focus on biodiversity, energy, garden, waste and water through environmental awareness.