Initiating community engagement - starting small
Initiating community engagement - starting small
Working with local high school students in their Agriculture class to grow plants used in a local revegetation project
Local Links - Stronger Communities -
LLCI033-043
The issue
The Upper Clarence region has seen a decline in Landcare engagement due to reduction in on ground funding, despite a long history of Landcare funded projects in the region. In 2017, the Local Landcare Coordinator proposed a project to Woodenbong High School Agriculture teacher in consultation with Boota Bush Regeneration, a local company responsible for the revegetation works at a waste clean up site on the local Aboriginal community. There were other community linkages in the project with the school students and the Landcare project aimed to build on that relationship. Students at the school, despite living in a rural areas, have limited exposure to Landcare and NREM knowledge.
The solution
The project was formulated to be non-challenging to all the participants and to use donated materials as it had no external funding. Students in class 7 potted up local Lomadra seedlings under the guidance of the Local Landcare Coordinator with a discussion on revegetation, creeks and local Landcare issues. Lomandras are very hardy to handling, so suitable for school students. Boota Bush Regen agreed they would be able to use the plants. The seedlings and the hiko trays were donated, the school supplied the potting mix and the green house space and the Local Landcare Coordinator conducted the activities. It took several months for the school to understand the project and be ready to participate but the class activity itself was successful and all the Lomandra seedlings were potted into the trays in a relatively short time.
The impact
In a community not familiar with Landcare, it is hard to get a foot in the door. Schools are a simple and captive audience often seeking input of ideas and extra expertise. By doing a Landcare project with the school, relationships have been initiated that may offer future opportunities for collaborative projects. This is the case with Woodenbong School, where a follow up project has been discussed and submitted for funding. It was also important that the project was small (easily achievable) and used donated items (didn't require funding) and relevant (tied in with other local priorities).
Key facts
- Small non-challenging project to begin engagement
- Introducing Landcare into a high school Agriculture class
- Linking a Landcare project with a local waste clean up revegetation project