School Groups Environment Day 2019
Raising awareness of the local environment to primary school students in the local Districts and connecting them with the knowledge their contribution.
Community Participation - LP051-001
The issue
Schools in Condobolin & Districts have limited teaching resources about the environment, ecosystems or the issues impacting them. These school children have had limited exposure to environmental expertise and lack the knowledge of what their impact on the environment is or what they can do about it.
Teachers are required to teach the curriculum plus their specific school’s teaching objectives. It is difficult for regional schools to have the capacity to deliver on environmental concerns thoroughly, especially with the limited opportunities and resources at their disposal.
The solution
Condobolin & Districts Landcare partnered with Lake Cowal Conservation Centre and St Joseph’s School Condobolin for the 3rd consecutive year, to bring to the local Districts an Environmental Awareness Learning Day held on the 3 September 2019.
An ‘Environment Day’ of fun learning was offered to grade 3-6 students from six local schools: St Joseph’s Primary Condobolin, Bogan Gate Primary, Condobolin OneSchool (MET), St Patrick’s Trundle, Tullibigeal Central and Condobolin Public School.
The Day involved eleven different local expert presenters from NetWaste, Lake Cowal Foundation, NSW DPI – Fisheries, Waste2Art, Ecologist, Birdlife Photographer, Environmental Artist and the local Community Boomerang Bags Network. The day involved small groups rotating through a number of activities with each student group participating in five sessions each.
The impact
The students had a fun and memorable day. They gained so much knowledge and awareness of their environment through interactive sessions, games and art classes with expert environmental presenters. Some of the subjects covered included: the importance of recycling – what we can recycle and why it is important; why plastic bags are dangerous, how they pollute our environment and what we can do to about them. Students also learnt about local animal species and Aboriginal culture and why these are important for our environmental ecosystems, raising awareness of their local environment and culture. Students, teachers and presenters alike enjoyed a fulfilling day.
Key facts
- Local Environmental Experts shared their knowledge with students from six local primary schools
- Children provide a direct connection to their families – parents, grandparents and siblings and friends, enabling a future of better environmental understanding and outcomes.