Students get back to nature

WITH the support of a Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity grant, St Mary MacKillop Catholic Primary School students have found a new classroom in the bush.

Partnering with Stuart McCallum of Friends of Bannockburn Bush the School’s curious young pupils are undertaking some of their environmental science studies in the Bannockburn Nature Reserve.

St Mary MacKillop’s science specialist Nicole Sadler said the $2420 State Government grant is supporting an ongoing tree-planting, weeding and mulching project at the Reserve, students’ citizen science experimentation, and is offsetting bus travel to-and-from the site.

“We’ve had one full day in the Nature Reserve for National Tree Day where the children put in over 100 plants and moved a whole lot of mulch, and we’re planning another event in December,” she said.

“It’s the kind of relationship that we want to keep going, and is part of St Mary MacKillop’s contribution to community and the environment.

“Part of the grant is also for studies of flora and fauna. I worked with my year three-four students in the little bushland behind the school on bird identification.”

Ms Sadler said the children have “loved the opportunity to sit still,” to listen to the sounds of the wildlife, and the trees moving.

“They eagerly look forward to sitting still, relaxing, and being in nature. It pays into their wellbeing, and gives them the connectedness they are desiring.

“The one day we had with five-sixes, they loved getting their hands dirty. They’ve missed working in our veggie garden with community volunteers, so it was a hugely engaging and motivating activity,” she said.

“Anything we can do to get them into the local natural environment is a huge education motivator and is so good for their wellbeing.”

Mr McCallum said the “wonderful” group of young people have been focused on planting yellow and red gums to revegetate a section of the Bannockburn bush that was a sugar gum plantation.

He said the students are going to be key to progress-making when it comes to conserving natural spaces and resources, now and in the long-term.

“It’s important that the next generation coming through have a sense of country and contact, and an understanding of all the processes that go on in the natural world, which will encourage them to look after it, and vote for politicians that will look after it,” he said.

“It’s a real bottom-up, grassroots campaign, getting people to understand and appreciate being comfortable with doing things that are important when looking after all our wealth of flora and fauna.

“The kids from the College are a lovely, bright enthusiastic group.”