Publications

Description

Students find the best location in their school area or local community for planting a habitat garden, research local tree, shrub, and grass species, and investigate why plants are an essential part of the ecosystem. Plants provide:

• homes and food for animals, and shade for humans;
• transform energy from the sun into food that helps them grow, releasing oxygen for us to breath;
• provide wood for our houses and furniture and, for some of us, wood to burn to keep us warm and to cook our food.

Equipment

• Plotting a map of the school: compass, measuring tape, colour pencils
• Planting: a map of where the plants are to go, plant seedlings (preferably in long narrow tubes), plant labels, buckets of water or hoses to water in the plants, hand trowels or spades, mulch (newspaper and bark chips) to protect the seedlings and rakes and wheelbarrows to spread the mulch.
• Maintenance: a camera and diary to record activities and to record animals and insects using the habitat garden, hand trowels to remove weeds, buckets of water or hoses to water the plants.

Methodology

The aim is to:

• Create a habitat - planting a range of trees, shrubs, climbers and grasses provides a range of homes for animals.
• Restore biodiversity - encourage birds, lizards, insects, frogs and spiders and other animals into your 'garden'.
• Provide a corner in your school that will provide pleasure, shade and a study area for future generations of children.

To do this you need to:

1. Draw up a plan of your school or community area, marking the location of the proposed planting area; draw the planting area to scale, marking any features eg paths, rocks, other trees.
2. Research appropriate native plants for public places in your area. Information may be available from local nurseries, your state or local government departments, Greening Australia, local Landcare groups.
3. Order the plants from a nursery; or collect seeds and grow your own.
4. Prepare the site for planting: control weeds, break up the soil, add fertiliser suitable for native plants; mulch before planting (this protects the seedlings from being trampled).
5. Plant the seedlings: moisten the soil, dig the holes, plant seedlings, water them in; protect the area from frost, hot winds, rabbits, kangaroos (and other students!).
6. Maintain the area and keep records of what has been planted and student activities.
7. Enjoy your habitat garden!

Additional information

These are just some of the resources available:

• Exploring Diversity: a resource book of ideas for National Science Week 2001, published by the Australian Science Teachers Association
  (phone: (02) 6282 9477 or contact your state/territory Science Teachers Association.) The "Biodiversity project" on pages 33-35 provides details on planning, researching, preparing and maintaining a school woodland.
• Wildscapes - a Gould Group web site which, while focusing on Victoria, provides generic information about preparing the ground and planting native plants at schools.
• How to plant native seedlings. Land preparation, planting and aftercare: an outline for survival. Published by the Trees for Life Scheme 2000-2001. Although written for rural landholders, this is a very handy little publication.

Other internet web sites with programs about trees for teachers and children include:

• PlanetArk, who have put together "Linking Landcare" lessons for National Tree Day; they also have interesting facts about trees.
• NSW Department of Primary Industries, who have a section called Kids and Schools designed to provide interesting information about the forest environment in a fun way. They have resources for teachers, activities and online publications.
• Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water who have extensive teacher resources and modules eg. 'Learnscaping school grounds' and 'The need for trees'.

Some of these resources provide information for free; others require you to purchase booklets. All of them, however, provide ideas and inspiration to teachers and children.