Hunter Valley schools get on track with Landcare projects

Metford Public Schools is one of 29 Hunter Valley schools receiving Junior Landcare grants from the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) this week.

The program invited Hunter Valley and regional NSW schools neighbouring the freight rail network to pitch their environmental ideas for funding. ARTC recently announced a total of nearly $30,000 worth of funding would be provided to deliver the exciting school projects and promote safe rail behaviours.

Students at Metford Public School hope to see an increase in the range of local native fauna by planting a native food plant garden. Their garden will provide opportunities for students, teachers and the community to learn about native edible plants and Indigenous foods.

In addition to Maitland area schools receiving grants, other successful schools are spread across the Hunter Valley and regional NSW including Narrabri in the north, to Narromine and Dubbo in the south. (See complete list below) A broad range of projects are being funded including veggie gardens, permaculture gardens, native gardens, worm farms, recycling projects and sensory gardens.

Landcare Partnership Manager, Adin Lang said, “Junior Landcare grants encourage young people to play an active role in ensuring the safe future of their environment and to develop a sense of responsibility to the land and other natural resources that they will inherit in future years ahead.”

Wayne Johnson, ARTC’s Group Executive Hunter Valley said the program also offers a great opportunity to encourage safe behaviours of students and parents around the busy railway. “We regularly have train drivers report trespass sightings of school students and we think initiatives like this provide an opportunity to open dialogue with schools and build respect for the railway.”


ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Valerie Woods, Landcare Australia
02 8440 8809
valerie.woods@landcareaustralia.com.au

About Landcare Australia
Landcare Australia is a not-for-profit organisation with a vision of all Australians actively caring for the land and water that sustain us. For over 25 years, Landcare Australia has worked collaboratively with federal, state and local governments, corporate partners and sponsors, and individuals, to build capacity for the Landcare community to better manage Australia’s crucial land and water assets.

Landcare Australia delivers hundreds of projects annually through the volunteer efforts of local community groups, Indigenous groups, and the more than 5,400 Landcare and Coastcare groups that make up the Landcare movement. Visit landcareaustralia.org.au for more information.

Full list of schools to receive ARTC Junior Landcare Grants:

School Location Project type
Blandford Public Blandford Vegetable garden
Boggabri Public School Boggabri Native garden
Branxton Public School Branxton Vegetable garden, Orchard
Carinya Christian School Carinya Composting
Denman Public School Denman Vegetable garden, native garden
Dubbo South Public School Dubbo Bush Tucker Garden
East Maitland Public School East Maitland Composting, chicken coop
G S Kidd Memorial School Gunnedah Sensory garden
Gillieston Public School Gillieston Heights Vegetable garden
Gunnedah South Public School Gunnedah Sensory Garden
Hunter River Community School Metford Sensory garden
M.E.T Campus East Maitland Bush Tucker garden
Maitland Christian School Metford Recycling project
Metford Primary School Metford Bush Tucker garden
Mullaley Public School Mullaley Native garden
Muswellbrook Public School Muswellbrook Sensory garden
Narrabri Public School Narrabri Propagation project
Narromine Christian School Narromine Vegetable garden, composting, Orchard project
Nillo Infants School Lorn Sensory garden
Parkes Public School Parkes Native garden
Peak Hill Central School Peak Hill Worm farm, Vegetable garden
Rosary Park Catholic School Branxton Vegetable garden
Sandy Hollow Sandy Hollow Native garden
St Catherine’s Catholic College Singleton Frog pond, Native garden
St Mary’s Primary School Dubbo Dubbo Citrus orchard
St Mary’s Primary School, Scone Scone Dry Creek bed garden
St Michael’s Catholic Primary School Dunedoo Native garden
Werris Creek Public School Werris Creek Native garden
Willow Tree Public School Willow Tree, NSW Vegetable Garden

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