News

With its 2017 South32 Junior Landcare Enhancing Habitat Grants proving such a success, the company has invested in a second round of grants for 2018. Grants were recently awarded to 11 schools in Western Australia and Tasmania. Like the previous year’s grants, each school received up to $5,000 to support projects that help students learn about protecting and restoring our natural environment through hands-on outdoor learning.

Early in September, Mark Worthington, Lead Corporate Affairs at South32 Worsley Alumina (below in hi-vis shirt), visited three schools in Western Australian to personally learn more about how they will be using their 2018 grants.  He said, “South32 encourages students to embrace and learn about ways they can protect and enhance the natural environment and ecosystem in their local school grounds.”

Wandering Primary School will create a nature trail that will not only have plant/species identifiers but will also incorporate some historic remnants on their bush block like the foundations from the original Headmaster’s cottage (circa 1870’s) and old carriage wheels nearby.

For Fairview Primary School in Collie, WA, their outdoor classroom is really taking shape and their ‘insect hotels’ are helping attract fauna to the area.  They are also looking to build nesting boxes and plant more native trees in the school’s arboretum.

St Brigid’s School, also in Collie, has developed a detailed plan for using the land around the school oval to plant natives to help with drainage issues and are also planning to create an interpretive walk highlighting Noongar culture.  They have consulted with local Elders and the large sticks in their photo are for the Mia-Mia shelters they are working on.