Biodiversity Garden Project
The Environmental Science class has been allocated a garden area with exotic plants and weeds (and a number of rabbit warrens) that will be converted to a native – endemic species ‘Biodiversity Garden’. The project is focussed on increasing the biodiversity of plant species on the school grounds, which will, in turn, provide habitat for native insects, birds and small reptiles such as lizards.
Students have researched the types of vegetation that would have grown on this site before European settlement and the removal of native forests began. Most of this information was readily available on the Cardinia Shire website: https://www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/
Students have selected 17 different species, researched details about each species and compiled an information panel for each.
- Scientific name and common name
- Plant description
- Size
- Flowering time
- Preferred Growing conditions
- Uses
- Photographs of the plant, including flowers, seeds etc.
Here is an example:
Clematis aristata also called “Old Man’s Beard”
Description- Woody climber, suckering to form new plants. Ascends to upper storey canopy.
Size- Vigorous climber to 15m high
Growing condition- Moist to wet well-drained soil in cool forests and gullies. Full sun to full shade.
Clearing the site of weeds
T.J., Ben and Diesel working with Peter Lewis to replace a broken irrigation line with a new sytem
Students laying the first course of rocks in their retaining wall
Kobe Beck (pictured) working with Angus Schutz to install a new irrigation system for the garden