Bellbrae Primary School has used a Climate Emergency Grant from Surf Coast Shire Council to transform areas of the school ground into green spaces, create worm farms and increase grade four students' awareness of how to protect the local environment.
"The Climate Emergency grant provided the funds to purchase the equipment needed for this project," said Mark O'Donnell, Grade 4 teacher at Bellbrae Primary School.
"The students loved getting their hands dirty to create the gardens and learn about how they were helping the environment."
"The students have been enthusiastic in establishing and caring for the worm farms. We created three worm farms and have 'wormologists' (monitors) that cut up the food and feed the worms twice a week," he said.
The students collect the 'worm wee' liquid and feed it to the indoor plants and new native plants. Around two kg of 'worm poo' or worm castings have also been collected and used in planting the 44 gallon drums.
Through the grant, the school has been able to:
- Plant local native species in the school grounds.
- Revitalise two old vegetable patches, including planting seedlings of pumpkin, zucchini, bean, basil, watermelon, cucumber and sweet corn.
- Plant 20 x 44 gallon drums, with Aboriginal inspired bush tucker plants and seasonal vegetables.
- Implement a recycling hub that allows students, teachers and families to recycle hard to recycle items and divert waste from landfill.
- Develop an environmental report that keeps track of recycling results and provides a benchmark for continuous environmental improvement across the school.
"It's great to see these grants not only helping a local school to create more green space but educating our children, our future environmental guardians, about the small but significant things they can be doing at home and in their community to help the climate," said Cr Libby Stapleton.
"The recycling hub, created by the students, is a great project for those hard to recycle items that end up in landfill, and I hear the students have loved seeing the results of what they are saving from landfill."
"All these small initiatives add up to create a bigger solution to the ongoing waste problem. It fills me with hope, and who knows what creative solutions these students will come up with in the future," she said.
Bellbrae Primary School students will continue to watch their green spaces grow, enjoy the fruits and vegetables from their new garden beds, and continue to monitor how much waste is being diverted from landfill.
