Students take steps to enhance school sustainability
Release date: 17 August 2023
In celebration of National Science Week, we are thrilled to share how our students are taking real steps to enhance the sustainability of their school environment.
With School Infrastructure NSW’s (SINSW) Sustainable Schools Grants, students can create inventive and interactive initiatives that promote their understanding of environmentally sustainable methods and systems. Gymea Technology High School and Bournda Environmental Education Centre are prime examples of schools embracing this approach.
Gymea Technology High School's Sustainable Propagation Project
This innovative project is aimed at recycling organic waste to kickstart plant life through seed propagation in the school’s unusual dome greenhouse.
The heart of this initiative lies in setting up a space dedicated to recycling organic waste and nurturing new life through seed propagation. Despite the challenges posed by remote learning and shifting school activities during the project’s timeline, the students and teachers persisted, resulting in the creation of a geodesic dome greenhouse – a haven for cultivating native trees, scrubs, and market garden plants.
Inside this dome, the air is delicately regulated by wax-operated louvres, ensuring optimal conditions for seed and cutting propagation. Water misters and a controlled watering system maintain the ideal moisture levels.
They even have ’Farmbot’ on hand to help – a robotic planting and watering system that provides valuable insights, including temperature and moisture content and automates the actions required for the plant’s growth.
Vegetable plants cultivated through this project find their way to nearby garden plots, blending sustainability with food technology studies. Additionally, the composting process links agricultural waste and food technology scraps, creating a cyclical system that feeds back into the school’s STEM Agriculture Garden.
Bournda Environmental Education Centre's Birds of a Feather Project
The "Birds of a Feather" project, orchestrated by Bournda Environmental Education Centre (EEC), involves 8 schools — Tathra Public School, Tanja Public School, Central Tilba Public School, Bemboka Public School, Towamba Public School, Wyndham Public School, Bemboka Public School, and Cobargo Public School. Supported by the Sustainable Schools Grant, this project has united these schools in a collective effort to understand and conserve local biodiversity.
Students, guided by the Bournda EEC team, are exploring their surroundings through the lens of citizen science. Armed with motion sensor cameras, they document the diverse bird species visiting their environment, shedding light on the delicate balance of coexisting species.
Tathra Public School students have already captured over 400 images of local wildlife, including multiple bird species and even a Kangaroo!
These projects are a great example of how environmental awareness and education can come together to promote sustainability and empower students to become stewards of their environment.
The Sustainable Schools Grants program is giving many schools and students across NSW the opportunity to develop innovative hands-on projects that help them learn about environmentally sustainable practices.
Learn more about Sustainable Schools Grants on our website.
