Project Overview 

Maroona is a rural village in western Victoria. This project, funded by a 2019 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant, saw 35 students from Maroona Primary connecting with nature through an excursion to Brambuk: the National Park and Cultural Centre, in the state’s Grampians National Park. 

This excursion provided the students with an immersive experience following on from classroom learning about local Indigenous plants and animals, Aboriginal land management techniques and local environmental issues. 

Educational Outcomes  

Throughout the excursion, students saw examples of how people use science in their daily lives. They were able to identify and describe examples of the external features and basic needs of living things, and how different places meet the needs of living things. 

Students learnt about the relationships that assist the survival of living things. They compared the key stages in the life cycle of a plant and an animal and relate life cycles to growth and survival. They took part in bush tucker tasting, increasing their knowledge and experience of local bush tucker foods and practices.  

Environmental Outcomes  

Students examined remains of the past in their local area, coming to understand how connections have changed the lives of people over time, and how their local community values and preserves connections to the past. 

Community/Social Outcomes 

Through learning, the students have developed a sense of wonder, curiosity and respect for places, people, cultures and environments throughout the world, and a deep geographical knowledge of their own locality. They have developed the capacity to be competent, critical and creative users of geographical methods and skills, and to be informed, responsible and active citizens who can contribute to the development of a world that is environmentally and economically sustainable, and socially just. 

Conclusion 

The hands-on excursion greatly enhanced the students’ learning experiences, with the added benefit of a day spent immersed in the natural environment they were studying. 

Photo at top: Maroona Primary students enjoy an excursion at Brambuk Cultural Centre.