5 February 2010

Expressions of interest are now open to all schools in the Mid-Western Regional Council area for a sponsored garden classroom.

The Mid-Western Regional Council initiative was piloted last year at Mudgee Public School where over 3 school terms Class 5/6 R transformed a disused corner of the school yard into an environmentally educational and attractive place for learning.

Commencing in Term 2, the pilot program started with a garden design competition where all students submitted a plan of how the garden should look. After voting on what they thought was the best design, it was an all-in effort to shape the existing piles of soil into the winning design – which happened surprisingly quickly with 26 boys competing for 6 shovels!

As the garden was commenced mid-Autumn, the students investigated how different plants grew (annual / perennial life cycles) and the various fruit / vegetables they could produce in different seasons. They looked at several fruits and vegetables from the supermarket and decided what plants would grow in our local climate over the winter. 

One week, they observed soil micro-organisms under the microscope and Term 3 ended with some delicious pizza’s that were topped with school-grown herbs and rocket.

The students met local farmers Kylie (from Paspaley) and Jane and Ed (Mudgee Composting Services) and learned about why and how bales and compost were made.

Mid-Western Regional Council would like to provide the same opportunity to a new school in 2010.

The opportunity includes:

• Technical support via one class per week for 2010 (Terms 2-4), delivered by Horticulturist and Watershed Landcare Coordinator, Thea Ridley.
• All materials to establish the garden and make it grow, including compost kindly contributed by Mudgee Composting Services, and
• Some tools to do the job!

Contact Shireen Murphy on 6378 2850 for an Expression of Interest Form.