Students from St. Therese Catholic Primary School have been working alongside local environmental volunteers to protect threatened Moonah trees while encouraging others to look after our coastline.
Grade 3 and 4 students from St. Therese Primary School students teamed up with with volunteers from Surf Coast Inland Plains Network (SCIPN), Torquay Coast Action (TCA) and the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) to plant 400 Moonah and Wirildra trees near Whites Beach.
Drawing inspiration from the latest SCIPN wildlife card collection by local artist Mark Trinham, students also created and displayed their own artwork at the planting site.
Native animals such as frogs, reptiles, mammals, bats, freshwater fish and many birds from the region feature in the cards, which were developed to promote local wildlife and conservation education.
SCIPN operations manager Mandy Coulson said students had researched Moonah Woodlands in class and also worked on their art.
“Their artwork depicts local trees and animals, and has been displayed near the planting site to raise public awareness of the coastal environment,” she said.
For more information on Moonah Woodlands, please click here.
Glenda Shomaly, a volunteer from TCA, said St. Therese Primary School plays an active role in educating its students on the importance of maintaining and enhancing the local environment.
“St. Therese Catholic Primary School students plant 400 trees a year as a part of their carbon offset project,” she said.
The school’s sustainability coordinator, Gerard McCarthy, said students were excited to participate in the day’s activities.
“Opportunities like this allow the students to further understand their local environment and how to look after it,” he said.
“As they grow up, they will be able to appreciate their own efforts made to protect the area.”
This educational activity was made possible by a grant received from the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, which is celebrating 25 years of land care this year.
Why did the site need rehabilitation?
The area, which borders Fishermans Beach and Whites Beach, was chosen because only one per cent of Moonah trees remain there due to decimation.
GORCC coastal project manager Mike Bodsworth said GORCC was grateful to the students and volunteers for their assistance in an area requiring restoration.
“GORCC has supported their work by fencing the site to protect the re-vegetated area and give it the best chance of survival,” he said.
More information
Torquay Coast Action hold regular working bees along the coast.
For further information please phone 5261 6266.
Check out what other students have done to help the coast in our previous blogs:
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee Blog 