Junior Landcarers Leading the Way!

Published 7th October 2022. Written by Maddison O’Brien

There’s no denying that the young people in the community are a crucial part of our region’s future! Today’s school-aged children are growing up with an acute awareness of climate change and environmental issues, and empowering them to take action within their schools, home, and community is what Green Day is all about!

On Friday, 9^th September, two special schools received a visit from Junior Landcare ambassador Costa Georgiadis! Cudgegong Public school gathered for a whole school assembly to hear an inspiring talk from Costa, engaging them in discussion and delving into the 2022 Green Day theme of ‘Grow Your Own Way’. Parents were invited to the assembly, and teachers were just as engaged with Costa’s talk. It was such an energising morning for kids and adults to experience together!

Cudgegong Public’s Eco Team was recognised and took a leadership role during the visit, giving Costa a tour of their veggie garden and getting their hands dirty making seed bombs and harvesting some of their beautiful school-grown produce. The Eco Team is an Eco-Schools initiative in partnership with Red Hill Environmental Education Centre. The team of 10 kids have been leading their fellow students in doing hands-on projects that explore sustainability in fun ways. The Eco team received the Tidy Towns award for all their incredible work! It’s inspiring to see such passionate young leaders pushing to create more sustainable practices in the community.

Representatives of the Royal Botanic Gardens were there for the visits, and they brought a unique donation of two Wollemi Pine saplings that were planted at the schools with help from the students.

Ilford Public School was next to receive a spark of motivation from Costa. The visit started with an interactive chat with the kids and teachers. Costa was so engaging, and the students were excited to show him around their school. The Wollemi Pine was lovingly planted, and we had to giggle at the students naming the tree ‘Phil’ after one of the horticulturalists at the Royal Botanic Gardens. The visit ended positively with Costa and the students looking at some of the native revegetation around the school and appreciating the biodiversity around them.

WaterUps donated one of their awesome wicking garden beds to Ilford Public, and it was assembled and filled with soil so that the school could start their own veggie patch! We are so grateful to Royal Botanic Gardens and WaterUps for their donations to create a lasting Green Day legacy and impact on the students.