Sensory Gardens at St Bede's Primary and Braidwood Preschool
An Upper Shoalhaven Landcare Youth Engagement project, proudly funded by Braidwood Community Bank in collaboration with parents, students and teachers within the school community.
Capacity building - LEP23-014-LLC13-05
The issue
Since the 2019-20 bushfires and covid pandemic, Upper Shoalhaven Landcare hadn't had the opportunity to engage or collaborate with any local school groups. In 2024, parents from the St Bede's Primary School Community Council and staff from Braidwood Preschool reached out to our network, with the hope of collaborating on some sensory garden projects.
The Preschool had recently lost a significant shade tree, and were in need of new trees, shrubs and ground covers to add some diversity to their backyard. Alternatively, St Bede's was hoping to create a relaxing outdoor-space for students to retreat to.
The solution
After three unsuccessful grant applications, Upper Shoalhaven Landcare approached Braidwood Community Bank and were delighted to secure funding for a 'Youth Engagement Series' in early 2025. The project aimed to support a range of educational workshops with school groups around Braidwood, but also allowed for plants and landscape supplies for the gardens.
Over spring, Braidwood Preschool received four advance trees, around 400 native tubestock, herbs, mulch, jute-matting, and all-important watering equipment to keep the plant alive going into summer - all generously installed by preschool staff.
St Bede's received similar materials, but also managed to secure a Braidwood Rural CRT grant to get a digger, pebbles and log rounds delivered to create a beautiful yarning circle with seats for a whole class to enjoy.
The impact
Some of the highlights from the project was four amazing working-bees at St Bede's primary. The Community Council rallied parents and members of the school community to do the 'heavy lifting' on weekends - with landscaping and mass planting completed by volunteersd on 13th September and 28th October respectively.
Students also got their hands dirty, with a propagation workshop for K-3 students on 9th September, where each student got to sow their own pot of seeds and learned about the special role native plants play in our environment. This was followed by a planting-bee on 28th October, where each student in the K-2 classes got to plant their own plant in the garden and decorate a tree guard to go with it. Delivered by childhood educator and long-term Landcare volunteer Helen, along with Local Landcare Coordinator Erin, these workshops were a little chaotic, but lots of fun for all involved!
Learnings
Over a year and a half after the project's inception, on 11 December 2025 Upper Shoalhaven Landcare was invited to the official opening of the sensory garden at St Bede’s Primary School in Braidwood. Now called ‘Cathy’s Garden’ in memorial to the late Cathy Ffrench, and her incredible contribution to the St Bede’s and Bombay Landcare community, it was great to see the garden growing well.
We hope both the gardens at Bede's and Braidwood Preschool continue to inspire generations of students come and hopefully look forward to more garden collaborations with the local schools in the new year!
Feedback and acknowledgements
Key facts
- 2 Beautiful sensory gardens planted with over 900 plants
- 2 Planting-bees with early primary students
- 2 Working-Bees with parents
- Over 100 parents, students, teachers and volunteers involved