A Twinning Day Out
On a sunny day, end of last year, B4C brought together 3 schools from the Brisbane area together for a day of Twinning and Environmental Education.
Year 4 - 7 students from Mount Petrie, Mansfield and Tingalpa State Schools were there. The site was at the Tingalpa Wetlands. The day was funded by the Brisbane City Council Grant for Hemmant / Tingalpa Conservation Group.
The students were split into 3 groups. Each group participated in 3 activities. The activities were designed to encourage friendship and shared experiences amongst the students, as well as teaching them the importance of our local flora and fauna and how they fit into our local environment and the world around us.
The students also had an opportunity to mix over morning tea and a BBQ lunch, many joining in an impromptu football game.
Activity #1: A Geckoes Wildlife presentation with Julie.
Julie’s presentation included many of our local fauna species. Each animal was shown and carefully described with habitats and habits discussed. Julie and the students shared information relevant to each animal. The discussions were lively and much was learnt by all.
There was something to interest everyone from the oh-so-cute Sugar Glider to the impressive and haughty looking Frog Mouth. Julie introduced us to reptiles, birds and marsupials, all of which are found locally.
Julie even brought out a large Cane Toad! Its role in our environment as an unwanted pest and how we could humanly eliminate them was discussed.
Julie takes a handsome Bearded Lizard around for us to touch and see up close.
This shy critter is a Sugar Glider and although very small it is a fully grown adult.
Julie is feeding her some tasty worms.
Julie introduces us to a female Carpet Python, she shows us how to stroke her correctly.
This proud-feathered bird is a Tawny Frogmouth. They are nocturnal birds.
He was happy to be admired but not touched.
The well known Cane Toad, a pest in Australia. They were brought out from Hawaii and released in
Cairns in 1936 as a biological agent against Sugar Cane Beetle. The plan did not work.
It did not take the toads long to breed, spread and become a common pest.
Activity #2: Planting of native plants with Heather (B4C) & Luke (B4C)
The students were shown the correct way to plant, water and mulch the plants. The importance of rehabilitating such areas was explained to the students.
There were a variety of plants to chose from, ranging from large growing plants such as trees and shrubs down to smaller growing plants such as sedges, climbers and grasses.
Heather demonstrates how to correctly plant, water and mulch each plant.
Students busy planting...
Activity #3: An Aboriginal Workshop with Rick Rosser from Aboriginal Events Management.
There was much to learn from Rick. He showed the students how to throw boomerangs, make a fire using fire sticks and to make a didgeridoo from a piece of pvc piping.
He told a story of the Emu using natural, organic paints to decorate the student's faces and hair as part of the story.
Rick shows the students how to throw a boomerang correctly
Rick makes a didgeridoo from a piece of pvc piping and demonstrates how well it works
Students try out their pvc pipe Didgeridoo.
Rick shows the students how to make a fire using two fire sticks
Students trying out the firesticks
Painting the students faces and hair following / according to the story of the Emu that Rick told them...
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