Thirty year six children from Pacific Paradise State School got their hands dirty on June 21st to take part in an ENERGEX Junior Landcare Activity day with Maroochy Waterwatch.
The day was made possible by funding from ENERGEX as part of a partnership with Landcare Queensland worth over $260,000.
Federation Park in Palmwoods was the location for the day, where the Junior Landcarers planted native species, including the iconic Piccabeen Palm which gives the community of Palmwoods its name.
They also investigated the water quality of Paynter Creek, under the expert guidance of Maroochy Waterwatch.
Maroochy Waterwatch also had a few surprises planned, which saw the students getting a workout under the supervision of Angelique Lahey, who as well as being an environmentalist, she is also a qualified gym instructor.
Angelique said, “We wanted this to be a day to remember for the children so I threw in a few fun physical activities to really make sure the children remember what they’ve learnt about caring for their local environment.”
“Many of these children spend a lot of time enjoying the ocean so we want to get them thinking about how looking after creeks in the upper catchment makes for a cleaner sea.”
The children also played the ENERGEX Energy Awareness Game, to share ideas about saving energy at home and at school.
Justin Ward, project coordinator for Landcare Queensland said, “By giving children the chance to get their hands dirty planting trees and investigating their local environment, we hope to help nurture a new generation of Landcarers.”
