Charlotte Varcoe
AN expected 700 primary school students will gather at the Wulanda Recreation Centre later this month to learn more about the forestry industry.
In a collaborative effort between Green Triangles Forest Industries Hub (GTFIH) and the popular children’s educational character George the Farmer, students will learn about the industry on National Forestry Day.
This year, National Forestry Day will also be held in collaboration with Book Week, prompting a reading session hosted by George the Farmer and the Great Forest Hunt.
GTFIH workforce development officer Josh Praolini said National Forestry Day was initiated by the Australian Forestry Products Association in an effort to recognise the work of the industry across the nation.
“They were really looking at a way of recognising the work of forestry in Australia as far as the renewable, sustainable industry that is also sort of part of that climate battle as well,” Mr Praolini said.
“We are really excited but coincidentally it falls in Book Week and so for us that made perfect sense.”
He said the GTFIH was able to work alongside George the Farmer with primary school students attending and having the Great Forest Hunt story read to them.
“For us it made a lot of sense as living in MOunt Gambier and being able to have the two things lined up,” Mr Praolini said.
“For Mount Gambier and the wider Green Triangle we have 9000 people directly employed in forestry and we have got either directly or indirectly employed 26,000 people.
“We grow 35 per cent of the Australian grown housing timber and when we are looking at things like jobs, cost of living, housing crisis and things like that, we really need that timber generation to be able to help solve those problems.”
He said having the collaborative event was a fun and easy way to share what the forestry industry did while also getting the children involved.
“I suppose this will promote things like Book Week and literacy as well as our industry,” Mr Praolini said.
“The big thing for us is making sure we are visible, seen as a positive industry for the region and sustainable long term.”
He said the students who would be in attendance on the day would be reaching around 40 years of age before the trees planted now would be ready to be harvested.
“It is about sharing the positive story of forestry with them because the nature of the industry is either in mills or in the forest and it is hard to see what is going on so for us to be able to share this in a way increases that visibility a bit as well,” Mr Praolini said.
National Forestry Day will be held on August 20 while Book Week will be held between August 17 and 24.
