Carey Eco-Warriors are extremely proud to announce the launch of our new program, Rewilding Carey.
The main goal of the program is to create a garden for wildlife on our main campus at Carey’s Kew campus. We will be planting local plant species to provide a habitat for native animals including local insects, small lizards and birds that we hope will be attracted to the garden.
We are hoping that the project will serve a number of key purposes:
- Increase the biodiversity of indigenous plant and animal species within the vicinity of the garden. We are currently working with staff from CERES to understand the relationships between plant and animal species in local ecosystems and design a garden that will provide shelter, food and water for local animal species. This information will provide the foundation for our garden design and ongoing maintenance of the garden area.
- Inspire other people to create their own wildlife garden. We are keen to demonstrate how easy it is to apply the principles we are learning to create beautiful outdoor garden spaces that also provide a habitat for wildlife and increase biodiversity. We hope our garden will be a model for the development of outdoor spaces in other areas of the school and that it will inspire other people in our local community to think about how they can adapt their own gardens to support more native wildlife.
- Provide opportunities for people at our school to connect with nature.
We hope that our garden will help students and staff at our school to feel more connected to nature and to develop a better understanding of why it is important to protect all the species in an ecosystem. We think that when people feel more connected to nature they are more likely to want to protect it and maybe create their own gardens.
- Extend learning opportunities at our school. We would like to be able to show how gardens for wildlife can also help to improve our teaching and learning programs, our opportunities to learn from each other and our personal wellbeing. We think our wildlife garden can be:
- a place to observe plants and animals in their natural habitats
- a source of materials to use in classroom activities, e.g. science investigations
- a place to learn about the Woi-wurrung People, their knowledges and ways of knowing, and their relationship to Country
- a source of inspiration for creative activities like art and writing, STEM and inquiry-based learning
- a meeting place where people can come together to share their ideas and experiences
- a quiet place where people can go to relax and think.
To help us get us started and make sure our program is successful, we have been able to take advantage of a number of opportunities in our area with Boroondara Council, the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES) and ResourceSmart Schools.
We would like to thank our Principal Mr Walter and the maintenance staff at Carey, especially the Property Manager, Mr Calder, and landscape gardener Mr Josh Meurs for their support for the program. We would also like to thank Boroondara Council for providing funding to support our participation in both the Schools for Wildlife Program and the Environmental Leadership Program with CERES. Both training programs that are being run on campus at Kew.
If there is anyone in our Carey community who would like to be involved or thinks they can support the development of our wildlife garden at Carey’s Kew campus, we would love to hear from you. We need all kinds of materials and equipment and we would love to locate a bird bath that we can install in the garden. If you think you can help, please email julie.wetherbee@carey.com.au.
Dr Julie Wetherbee
PhD Experimental Marine Ecology, PhD Candidate Indigenous Education and Education Policy
Teacher and convenor of Carey Eco-Warriors, Carey student alliance for regenerative futures
