CERES Sustainability Summit

On September 10th we hosted the Student Environment Leadership Program with Tom and Clare from CERES Environment Park.

It was fantastic to have 3 other schools’ join us at our own school to do a range of activities around water use, waste management, eco-systems, habitat regeneration and eco conscious industrial solutions.

Warragul North Primary School, Yarragon Primary School and Yinnar Primary attended our day were impressed by all our efforts around our school that have earned us the revered title of being a 5 Star Resource Smart School. We were able to showcase our vegie patch, chicken coop, rainwater tanks, energy smart initiatives, biodiversity in the classroom and our wildlife refuges such as our insect hotels, lizard lounges and our nesting boxes for birds and possums. Kids were especially impressed by our Dairy Australia-Cows Create Careers program with our 5 week old calves. Kids from the other schools jumped at the opportunity to feed calves while they were here!
 
Tom and Clare ran the kids through some challenging problem solving activities exploring possible solutions and approaches to some of the big questions around recycling in Australia and the challenge other countries have accessing safe drinking water. We discussed the effects of our own lifestyles on our environment and what we hope for the world in 2040. We celebrated the environments we have; their value and how we are empowered to make a difference and protect what we have here in Yinnar South and in our broader communities.
 
We learned about how Molly Steer, a 9 year old in Queensland has made a huge difference to reducing rubbish caused by the hospitality industry. “Straws No More” has been a hugely successful as a result of Molly’s passion for saving wildlife, cleaning up our beaches and waterways and improving the environment. She appeals to kids everywhere to be the change; just because we are kids doesn’t mean we can take charge of problems to find a solution. See more info in the link at the bottom.

Joelle from Yinnar/Yinnar South Landcare presented to the whole group about the difference Landcare make towards biodiversity and sustainability and how easy it is to get involved at any level. In Yinnar South, Landcare is currently looking to plant out 8 kilometres along Middle Creek to regenerate the bush after the Yinnar South fires earlier this year.
 
Going forward, as a result of the Sustainability Summit, Yinnar South Primary School students have developed an “Improving our Environment Action Plan” to work with Landcare to raise seeds from native plants in our green house in preparation for the Landcare’s Middle Creek tree planting days next year in Autumn. We got lots of new ideas to carrying on our sustainability work at school and in our homes.
 
Please see:
Ceres Environment Park https://ceres.org.au/
 
 
 

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