YP students dig in for schools planting day

Students from southern Yorke Peninsula will dig in and get their hands dirty on Friday, July 25, at a planting day at the Curramulka Bush Park.

Coinciding with Schools Planting Day, and just ahead of National Tree Day on July 27, students will join with rangers from Natural Resources Northern and Yorke to plant out 500 trees, grasses and sedges as part of the Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) program and the Curramulka Primary School planting day.

Students from Stansbury Primary School, Port Vincent PS, Curramulka PS, Edithburgh PS, Warooka PS, Minlaton District School and St Columba’s Memorial School will be involved in the event.

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Community Ranger Fabienne Dee says it is a great opportunity for the students to take a hands-on role in caring for their environment as part of the Youth Creating Habitat project under the YEL Program.

“All students at Curramulka Primary School, as well as Young Environmental Leaders participants from the other schools will be involved in planting, so it’s a really good chance for them to get out and connect with their local environment and make a hands-on difference,” she says.

“The older students help the younger ones and show great care in passing on what they have learnt to their younger school mates.”

The District Council of Yorke Peninsula is also supporting the Curramulka PS planting day preparations in the town’s Bush Park and local community members will assist with the day.

Following a morning of planting, student Young Environmental Leaders from years 5-7 representing each of the schools will take part in further environmental learning, including a presentation by CSIRO Education Carbon Kids Program SA Project Officer Carol Rance.

The YEL students will also be involved in other outdoor activities including plant identification and photography of native flora.

The Young Environmental Leaders Focus schools are working on a range of sustainability projects in 2014, including weed control, native vegetation plantings, native garden transformation, a butterfly and sensory garden, a water sustainability garden, growing herbs and vegetables and worm farms.