STUDENTS from both Mount Gambier High School and Penola High School have completed a wetland assessment and habitat restoration project at Penola Park Swamp.
The program was part of the 2020-21 Grassroots Grants program – funded by the Limestone Coast Landscape Board.
Timberlands Pacific, Nature Glenelg Trust and Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation partnered to help deliver the project, while offering students an immersive educational experience in the field.
The students gained knowledge of wetland ecology, habitat conservation, seed collection and germination, biodiversity, the history of the site to First Nations people, and the importance of cultural connection to country.
Mount Gambier High school teacher, Jess Magarey, said the Penola Park Swamp project provided a natural environment for students to learn and added immense value to classroom content.
“A number of activities were set where the students undertook assessments of the area, providing an engaging way to cover the curriculum content,” she said.
“The students really enjoyed putting their classroom lessons into practice on the ground and learning how their actions can have a lasting impact on the landscape.”
The annual Limestone Coast Landscape Board Grassroots Grant program supports community initiatives that play a significant role in sustainably managing the landscape.
