Nine schools learn of sustainability

Students and teachers from nine local primary schools gathered at St Paul’s Anglican Grammar Junior school in Warragul recently for the third Gippsland Sustainable Schools Expo.

Presented by the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE Gippsland) in partnership with Baw Baw Shire Council, the theme for this year’s expo was ‘Food and the Future Eaters’.

More than 250 primary and secondary students, as well as their teachers participated in activities ranging from growing organic seedlings, beekeeping, worm farms, water and soil health, biodiversity, food packaging, renewable energy and harvesting local indigenous foods.

Dr Monica Green from RCE Gippsland said the expo was designed to support the many schools now practicing or starting sustainability programs.

“The Expo provided students with an opportunity to take part in ‘hands-on’ interactive sessions with leading environmental and sustainability educators from across the Gippsland region.

“Particularly popular with the students were sessions on how to build insect hotels and ensuring the longevity of our key pollinators, the bees” Dr Green said.

“This year’s expo built upon the highly successful 2014/2016 Sustainable Schools Expos held respectively at Federation University (Churchill campus) and Gippsland Grammar in Sale. The ongoing event has attracted more than 800 students and their teachers from schools across the region”.

“Attendees from the expo commented that the event allowed schools to learn from each other, celebrate current sustainability initiatives, and create teacher networks and curriculum that promotes sustainability learning”, Dr Green said.