Thirroul and Towradgi schools get landcare grants for green projects

A BUSH tucker garden at St Michael’s Thirroul and a worm farm at Towradgi Public are a step closer after the two schools secured funding as recipients in the latest round of Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants.

The schools were selected out of close to 1,000 applicants in the national  program, which launched last year and aims to inspire students with hands-on environmental projects.

The Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants program offers grants of up to $1,000 for Australian primary schools and early learning centres across the country.

The grant aims to help fund young Australians with hands-on projects focusing on sustainable food production, improving waste management practices and enhancing native habitats.

Woolworths Group Manager, Peter Cutajar said he is extremely proud of what the program has achieved to date and delighted that our local schools have been recognised in the latest round of grants.

“Our Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant program will continue to support students to get hands with worthy projects in our local environment. The local St Michael’s Thirroul and Towradgi Public School students have developed a deserving project that will contribute to a greener future for our community and we look forward to tracking their progress and success.”

Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish said getting hands-on with environmental projects at this early stage in their development will help equip students with the ability, knowledge and resources to take meaningful action to protect our shared local and national biodiversity as they grow up.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the projects proposed by St Michael’s Thirroul and Towradgi Public School interested locals can track their success via an interactive map at landcareaustralia.org.au.”

Building on the success of the program to date, Woolworths will be providing grants to an additional over 600 schools empowering 100,000 students nationally during this second round of the program.

Since June 2018, Woolworths has to date already contributed half a million dollars in Junior Landcare grants, funding projects for over 1,155 schools through the sale of ‘Bag for good’ across the country.

St Michael’s Thirroul proposed project:

• Project Type: Sustainable food production (e.g. bush tucker or vegetable garden)
• Project Name: St Michael’s Vegetable Garden!
• Project overview as described by school: Our goal is for students and staff to create, grow and care for a vegetable garden with community involvement. Developing a school vegetable garden will provide opportunities for community involvement – a link with neighbours, volunteers, parents and community businesses to be involved in our school and in making a better future. Students can learn to understand the role of food in life and the garden will allow us to improve nutrition and highlight healthy foods. We think it is important for students to learn about where food really comes from and the garden will be used to teach life skills such as gardening and cooking. We want to make a difference, educate students to be actively responsible and raise awareness and action within our community.

Towradgi Public School proposed project:

• Project Type: Waste management (e.g. composting, recycling, worm farm)
• Project Name: Towradgi Public School – EcoWarriors Environmental Project
• Project overview as described by school:  Our students seek to improve environmentally-friendly practices by developing whole-school waste reduction practices including recycling, worm-farming and composting. Students will be involved in all aspects of project implementation including worm-farming, composting and gardening. They will learn key skills associated with setting up and managing compost and worm-farming systems, in addition to utilising the nutrient-rich by-products to fuel growth in a new produce garden. New compost bins, available in classrooms, will be monitored by our Eco Warriors Environmental Group. In turn, students will develop a deep understanding of environmentally sustainable practices through real life experiences, whilst continuing to act as passionate advocates for the environment.