Schools for the Environment program

The Greening Australia /Melbourne Water Schools for the Environment program partnership

Greening Australia has partnered with Melbourne Water to lead 6 schools through an integrated Biodiversity and Water education program based around Melbourne Waters’ new Edithvale Seaford Wetlands Discovery Centre and at local community sites and schools. The program will be aligned with the Resource Smart Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative framework in Victoria.

The program will aim to achieve improvement of biodiversity and waterway health through native plant revegetation on community planting days. These days will be unique as they will involve school students engaging with local indigenous and friends groups to achieve these outcomes.

Each school involved will complete a biodiversity audit of their school grounds using skills they learn after their visit to the Edithvale Seaford Wetlands Disovery Centre and community site. An action plan will be developed as a result of the audit. Students will be able to take action in their own school grounds to improve biodiversity and water quality. Participating schools will be encouraged to tell their stories via a digital learning conservation web-portal, Act Wild, (a joint initiative between Zoos Victoria and Greening Australia) and by  presenting at the Toolbox for Environmental Change forum in 2013.

Outcomes of the partnership will be a well-developed secondary schools model for place-based learning involving volunteer groups, indigenous groups and council with curriculum materials to support this unique model.