Environmental Education
Stradbroke students are so fortunate to have magnificent school grounds adjacent to Fourth Creek and within walking distance of Morialta Conservation Park. In fact, some of our River Red Gum Trees – Eucalyptus camuldulencis – are part of remnant vegetation, being at least 150 years old.
Such an environment has led to our school being one of the leading Environmental Education schools in South Australia.
Environmental studies are integrated across all curriculum areas and age levels so that children have the opportunity to be totally immersed in the programs and to develop skills and positive attitudes for the future.
Central to our programs has been a long time commitment to the rejuvenation of the Fourth Creek surrounds and to the improvement of water quality. Children and staff participate in the reintroduction of indigenous vegetation through seed collection and plant propagation to create a safe corridor for native fauna between the school and the Conservation Park. Koalas are now frequent visitors to our grounds. In addition, we have extensively planted trees, shrubs and groundcovers within our school grounds with the aim of attracting Australian birds by providing food – or seeds and nectar from flowers – throughout the year.
For consecutive years Stradbroke School has been acknowledged as having the best school grounds in our state and we have won many environmental awards for programs in which children participate. Programs include water quality testing, maintaining a “patch” of plantings along the Creek, recycling and composting, worm farms and a lunch- time weekly Environment Club. Children in the Environment Club recently researched the needs of South Australian butterflies and have created a small garden to re-attract butterflies to our grounds. Similarly children are researching the occurrence of a small native fish that frequented creek waters.
We are proud of our environment and programs that assist children from so many overseas countries to become familiar with their local environment.
