Sunshine Beach State Primary School are celebrating a new bush tucker garden and outdoor classroom thanks to funding from the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation.
The school received $2,500 from the 2017 Big Ideas Grants Round to revitalise their outdoor learning space and provide better management of the remnant bushland that adjoins Noosa National Park.
A team of teachers, students and with some additional help from the Noosa Men’s Shed, completed the new native garden and learning area. A celebration with community and families is taking place on Friday afternoon (23rd November).
Di Seels said the teaching staff were very happy and proud of what they had achieved for the school.
“Our great team, in alignment with the NBRF and the sharing of our mutual values, have achieved really positive, progressive outcomes from this project,” Ms Seels said.
The establishment of a bush tucker garden by the prep students was planted out with 100 edible Noosa natives sourced from the Noosa & District Landcare Native Nursery and ePlants.
Unanimously named “Bob’s Garden”, students will be educated about local bush tucker plants and food, recognising and understanding the beneficial qualities of these plants.
Several plants were identified by students for protection, including the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine and the Black Sheoak, an important food source for the Glossy Black Cockatoo.
Planting of 200 tubes of complementary flora will help better manage, protect and promote biodiversity within the segment of remnant bushland inside the school boundary.
NBRF chair Dick Barnes said the revitalised outdoor learning area and educational gardens had the capacity to have a transformative impact on the children engaged in the program and impart a deeper connection to our biosphere reserve.
“We’re proud to have supported Sunshine Beach State School with this initiative.”
The creation of two outdoor classrooms will be used for raw food cooking using the edible foods from the native bush tucker garden.
“This new space will ignite their learning. It’s setting new standards in outside education,” Ms Seels said.
“We and the children from Sunshine Beach State Primary School say thank you! We are extremely grateful of the funding that was granted to us.
“In no shape or form would this project have been achievable without the NBRF grant. From our $2,500, a bush tucker garden was established, and the remnant National Park segment was restored, cradling the newly constructed outside classrooms.
“Altogether, including the existing permaculture garden, this has created an amazing, unique, outside learning education hub.”
Tags: education, outdoor classroom, sunshine beach primary school, bush tucker, indigenous
