Joeys from Nunawading Scout Group get involved in making seed bombs.
Age Group: 0-7, 7-14, 14-18
Grant Name: 2020 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants
Group: Nunawading Scout Group
Grant Sponsor: Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
Project Overview:
The 1st Nunawading Scout Group leaders want all their scouts to become champions of local Indigenous plants, and to gain skills in propagation so they can help improve biodiversity and restore habitats.
As they work towards creating a bush garden at their scout hall, 58 joeys, cubs and scouts were involved in the first stage of seed bombing the land around the hall with almost 3,000 seeds. The plants chosen include warrigal greens, flax lily, chocolate lily, and lomandra.
The scouts are monitoring the progress of the seed bombing and will provide ongoing care for the plants. They have also connected with a local not-for-profit Indigenous plant nursery to help with future project activities.
Educational Outcomes
Once the project was researched the Scout Group discovered that Indigenous seeds are more likely to successfully germinate using seed bombing. This provided an excellent learning opportunity for the scouts, who learnt about the selection of seeds, the importance of biodiversity and how to protect and improve biodiversity.
The scouts were also provided with learning opportunities with CERES and resources to learn about propagation. These learnings will be used for more practical, on-ground activities as the larger scale project progresses.
Environmental Outcomes
The members involved in the project have improved the biodiversity of the local environment through the seed bombing activity which is predicted to see at least 50% germination. They are undertaking regular site visits to monitor progress and will provide ongoing care for the plants which have been propagated from cuttings. These are to be planted out later in the year.
Conclusion
Researching and learning about biodiversity on a local level, and the different activities we can undertake to improve it has been a really valued experience for the 1st Nunawading Scout Group. Being able to get involved in a hands-on way through seed bombing and planning for propagation will continue to foster their interest in biodiversity and ensure the project continues to thrive.