DOZENS of native bushes and trees have recently been planted at McDonald Park Primary School as part of a new sustainable learning project.
During Term 2, three Year 3/4 classes – coordinated by teachers Kate Eldridge, Michelle Schulz and Katelyn Squire – helped redevelop a bare sloped area at the rear of the school grounds.
Last Tuesday, T1, T5 and T6 classrooms combined to place over 200 plants across the unused space.
Supported by Natural Resources South East, students also learned about the importance of environmental sustainability and how to correctly plant native vegetation.
Ms Eldridge said the project was formed from an idea floated while students studied sustainability earlier in the year.
It led to last week’s project, which has transformed the sloped area originally left bare in 2015 after several large and unstable trees were removed.
“The three classes decided to take on the area as a project and take students through the full process to experience it themselves,” she said.
“We looked at places in the school which were not overly appealing and thought the slope would be an ideal place to redevelop.”
Ms Eldridge said before the planting workshop, students helped design the area layout and also developed a deeper understanding about the importance of maintaining the natural environment.
Aboriginal education teacher Katherine Bundy also talked students through the Indigenous and native plants which were planted on the sloping space.
“Each student came up with their own design which were then sent and combined into a final plan,” Ms Eldridge said.
“At the moment it is an out-ofbounds area, but once the trees are more established, it might become a place where children can go at recess and lunch.
“Children have found the project very engaging especially when it came down to the physical part of it.”
Ms Eldridge said the three Year 3/4 classes would take ownership of the area moving forward with students rotating maintenance duties for the plants.
“We will be looking at other ways to make the space more inviting as well which will include additional seating, defining the pathways more and also painting the tree stumps,” she said.
“The skills students have learnt in class will hopefully be transferred to things later on in life which has already been visible during the physical aspects of the project.”
Ms Eldridge said the area worked well with the site’s ongoing sustainable practices with a developed garden and compost area on-site as well solar panels and a recentlyinstalled recycling system.
“We think it is important students learn all aspects of sustainable living so they can help take care of our plant for future generations,” she said.
“We also hope the children will be able to come back later in life and say they helped plant trees when it is further established.”
