Students from Wahroonga Adventist School have taken part in National Tree Day on Monday, July 28.
Leisly White, head of Science and Environmental Ambassador coordinator at the school, said it was a real team building thing for the Ambassador team.
“The environmental Ambassador program is designed to put into practice what we preach,” she said. “We teach the students about sustainability. Conservation about our endemic species here in Australia and it’s a really great way for them to put it into practice and get their hands dirty and get involved. All these students care about the environment and they want to do their part to make a difference.”
Each high school class headed into the nature reserve behind the school throughout the day to plant native trees and undergrowth in designated planting areas, set up by the bushland management team.
“We’ve planted about 350 plants today, 50 of which have been trees,” said Jayden Streatfeild, environmental officer for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. “We’re planting in the Blue Gum High Forest, which is a critically endangered ecological community—it only occurs here in Sydney—to help close in the edge and protect the rest of the [ecosystem]. Every plant we’ve planted has been sourced on site. They’re all native.”
Most of the trees the students planted were understory foliage—blueberry ash, cheese tree, native olive and more.
“I definitely enjoy it because we actually go and get into the forest and nature. We get to plant things so it just makes everything feel a bit more like you have a bit more freedom,” said WAH student Elijah White.
“If we didn’t [take part in the program now], then maybe later in life we wouldn’t really care much about nature, and then everything would just get worse.”
Mr Streatfeild is also glad to see the students participate. “It would be much easier for us to come here and plant the trees but it’s really important to me that the students come and experience the environment that is around their school, and learn a little bit about the bush and the plants they’re planting.”
“You can’t protect what you’ve never experienced—that’s my favourite quote from David Attenborough,” he said. “It’s really important that young people get into the bush, they experience the environment and they experience the trees and the different plants.”
Community members also planted some trees on Sunday as part of the National Tree Day activities.
“Everyone enjoys that nature strip, don’t they?” said Mrs White. “So that’s important too, to help the neighbours and the local community.”
National Tree Day is not the only initiative undertaken by the student Environmental Ambassadors. The Ambassadors meet once a week to work on initiatives to help the school with its environmental impact.
Initiatives include a sustainable food garden, engagement with community programs including the Royal Easter Show and the school’s annual tree planting program.
The students tend to a garden on school grounds, where fresh produce is grown and used in the home economics and hospitality classes.
“A while back, we grew a carrot and then we put it in some food and ate it and it was pretty good,” said Elijah.
Food waste is then fed to the school’s chickens, and the school has set up a compost system.
“We have a gardening committee at our school, which is made up of parents, teachers, the head of school and students. And it’s a way to build community. It’s a way to connect and socialise and support each other while doing something that’s really great for the environment,” said Mrs White.
Plants and a fish pond are also cared for inside the school, breaking up the concrete landscape and “greening” the space.
“It’s a great initiative where kids can get their thumbs stained green and learn about God’s creation,” said Amos Theile, groundskeeper at the school and Wahroonga estate.
The group have had some success, entering a native botanical arrangement into the Royal Easter Show and winning second place, as well as entering their chickens and garden produce. The group are working on an exhibition project made from recycled materials to enter in a local council competition.
The students also participate in the Return and Earn bottles scheme, raising money for mission trips.
“They love wilding the school and bringing God’s creation into this beautiful Christian school,” said Mrs White. “We teach them about God’s wonderful plants and animals, and it’s a way for them to protect and take responsibility for what God asked us to do, which is be the stewards of His creation.”
