We’re excited to announce that our kindergarten is one of 123 childcare centres, schools, Scouts and Girl Guides groups, and youth groups to receive a 2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant. Delivered through Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare program, and funded by the Victorian Government, the grants provide young people with the opportunity to engage in outdoor, hands-on biodiversity focused projects or learning activities that encourage them to value and actively care for Victoria’s biodiversity and natural environment. We are so thankful for this amazing experience. 

 

We used our $1029.00 grant for an excursion for the 4’s to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in October 2023. At the gardens they participated in the “mini beasts program” 

 

Children learnt that Minibeasts are tiny animals (invertebrates) such as insects, spiders and worms. Some minibeasts are well camouflaged. We need to look carefully on flowers, under leaves, on the bark of trees. Plants also provide food and shelter for minibeasts.
They also learnt that bees collect nectar and spread pollen from flower to flower which makes new seeds.
 

The children and educational team were also able to walk through rain forests and explored wonderful smelling plants. They stopped along the way to hear from the learning facilitator who spoke about the trees that were on the planet for hundreds of millions of years ago that produce boy cones and girl cones, watched and listened to the learning facilitator who taught them about the smallest coconut in the world produced by a giant tree that is very rare, and made a pot pourri bag to take home and investigated worms.

 

The Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants are funded by the Victorian Government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. They contribute to the targets of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037, the Victorian Government’s plan to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment.