Planting project a chance for growth

A GARDENING project started last year by Wendouree Primary School staff and students has received a boost thanks to their participation in an annual environmental challenge.

The school community’s plans to plant a self-sustainable Miyawaki forest has netted them the winning prize in Alfredton Rotary Club’s 2023 Environmental Challenge.

Having received the $700 prize last week, the school’s garden specialist Stephen McNeight said the forest will add to their planting effort.

“This project will be right next to our wildlife habitat garden, and essentially will be a micro-forest,” he said.

“It’s a system used extensively in warmer Asian countries to rapidly grow forests back. Our 4/5/6 students will be working on this.

“What happens is they dig out a section of ground, add nutrients to the soil, put it back, then plant the trees.”

Students will begin planting the Miyawaki forest at the start of the next term with the project expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Work began on the gardening project last year thanks to a $5000 Landcare grant with all 120 students making granite sand pathways and planting native trees while plans are underway to also build a frog and lizard habitat.

Mr McNeight said the overall aim is to teach kids about the environment while increasing the school’s biodiversity.

“It’ll attract more birds, frogs, insects,” he said. “It’s also an education tool so the kids can look at global warming and the benefits of forest regeneration.”