Baldivis Primary School

Project Profile

Issues

Since early beginnings of revegetation plantings to restore an area of bushland provided by the City of Rockingham in 2001; the Baldivis Children’s Forest has developed into a vibrant Environmental Study Centre, providing an extensive range of programs and learning experiences for school children and community members.

Project Detail

Baldivis Primary School has been nominated for a National Landcare Award for its work in creating the Baldivis Children’s Forest. From humble beginnings of revegetation plantings to restore an area of bushland provided by the City of Rockingham in 2001; the Baldivis Children’s Forest has developed into a vibrant Environmental Study Centre, providing an extensive range of programs and learning experiences for school children and community members.

The project has grown significantly from an annual planting day by Baldivis Primary School students, to a project involving many schools, parents, volunteers, interest groups, businesses, industry and local government partners. The innovative educational programs provide a unique learning experience for 30 schools in the Perth metropolitan area. Over 3000 students from kindergarten to year 12 participated in the Forest Programs in 2009 alone. The project evolved through a determination to preserve the region’s fast diminishing natural environment. The project aims to empower and educate Baldivis youth to become proactive and effective in their efforts to achieve environmental sustainability in their communities.

A comprehensive Aboriginal cultural program is an integral part of the learning experience. Local elders and the Department of Indigenous Affairs give their time and knowledge to foster greater cultural understanding between Indigenous and non-indigenous students through shared learning experiences such as bush tucker walks and the creation of the Forest’s bushtucker garden. 2010 will see the launch of the Kwinana/Rockingham Dreaming Trail, which records the stories, and traditional cultural usage of 12 significant landmarks in the region.

Local sponsorships allowed the Forest to further expand its environmental education programs and employ a project officer to oversee the Forest’s environmental management. Today Baldivis Children’s Forest offers a vast array of environment programs and its Forest activity days are eagerly sought by many schools and interested groups in the area. The Children’s Forest Education Committee provides an active forum in which teachers and students from West Australian schools can discuss environmental issues, formulate solutions and apply them to environmental problems they encounter. The Forest project also resulted in two children being sent to UNESCO, Paris as Australian Delegates for a global conference on sustainability in 2006 and the hosting of the subsequent UNESCO art presentation of participating countries at the City of Rockingham in 2007.

Children now monitor and question proposed developments and are motivated to write to MP’s and the Prime Minister. Children from Baldivis Primary School presented workshops to their peers at the 2008 WA Youth Environment Conference and hosted a project day at the Forest for delegates. The success of this work led to an invitation to the 2009 International River Health Conference, where 29 children presented workshops on the Forest project and their work in water quality monitoring. From 2005 to 2009, Baldivis students have won five major PALS (Partnerships, Acceptance, Learning and Sharing) awards from the Department of Indigenous Affairs for their efforts developing shared reconciliation learning experiences for young people.

Through its enduring nature, the Forest project provides an example and a legacy in interactive learning for future generations. It is a place where conservation, sharing and cultural respect are synonymous and lasting.

The Baldivis Primary School project is one of 88 finalists in the National Landcare Awards to be announced in Canberra on 24 June 2010.  Commencing in 1991, the Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and groups that make a valuable contribution to the land and coast where they live and work.

Photography

Baldivis PS