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WINNING ENTRY 2008
This years winning entry for Arbor Week was submitted by St Patrick's Catholic School Port Fairy, St Patricks Koroit and Port Fairy Consolidated Primary School. The Arbor Week Council congratulates all involved with the "Revegetating Killarney" submission. Extract of the documents are detailed below.
PROJECT TITLE
The project will involve the removal of a large number of non native shrubs and low lying plants from the area around one of the student's playgrounds, and being replaced with several rows of native plants and grasses.
Students will be involved in the discussion about why we are removing the non-native plants and replacing them with native plants. Discussions will be around the role native plants can have in attracting native fauna to our school grounds and also the benefits to planting native flora in terms of drought tolerance and how the school will not have to use as much water in keeping them healthy. Students will also look at how native plants sometimes grow better in some climates and not others and why we will be selecting certain types as opposed to others.
It is planned that the students in the lower classes will use this project over a number of years to witness how this garden has grown and what is required particularly in the earlier years of the garden in maintaining and assisting with the plants early growth requirements. Discussions around the need for fertilizer and water and weed control will all form part of the maintenance schedule to be allocated to the Grade 3 and 4 students. The grade 5 students will certainly play a major role in the planting and initial watering etc.
This project is one part of a garden plan that has been designed by the Gardens Sub Committee of the School Board which incorporates into the design the role of students in the design and ownership of their school garden. We are also keen to ensure we have an external environment in which the students like to interact and play in which is both low maintenance but also pleasant to be in at the same time.
This project will benefit the whole school as all students use this area and it will also in time assist in screening off a large area of the school yard from external homes which is beneficial to both parties.
THE SITE
The location of the project is on the eastern boundary of the school and will when completed and over time improve the precinct in which their is a lot of activity due to playground equipment being located in this area. The boundary is open to viewing by the public and will also create a natural border that will hide a number of houses located on the eastern boundary.
WHAT SITE PREPARATION IS REQUIRED?
The removal of the existing row of Agapanthas and non native shrubs and preperation of the soil for planting.
PROPOSED SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS
The school will be approaching the Glenelg CMA and asking if one of their educational officers could come to the school to undertake a presentation around the importance of maintaining our environment and the role plants play in keeping the environment healthy. This would be planned for Arbour Week.
We will also be requesting that the local Aboriginal Cooperative visit and talk about our specific native plants and how they were important to their people both as a source of food but also for attracting wildlife etc.
Our local Council will also be involved through the Parks and Gardens officer who has been assisting in developing a plan for the school grounds along with members of the School Gardens Committee which is a group of parents that assist in maintaining the gardens and grounds.
HOW WOULD YOUR SCHOOL PROMOTE ARBOR WEEK 2008?
The school has an excellent relationship with two of the local newspapers The Warrnmabool Standard and also the Koroit Times. We would be issueing a Press Release to both papers to request their attendance at the launch of Arbour Week to highlight the Grant from NRCL and the State Department of Education and Training and other supporters of the weeks activities.
Students would also be involved in completing a number of projects that would involve posters around the school as well as requesting that students write about the activity in the school newsletter.
The school would also look at placing this activity on the School website highlighting the weeks activity.
If possible we would also see if the CMA would like to do a story on the school and what it is doing in terms of ARBOR WEEK and how local school children are playing their part in improving the environment.
