Going green for Australia

By Kath Gannaway
GOLDEN wattles along the bank of the Yarra River provided a stunning backdrop for a day of cultural and environmental activities for Healesville students and Healesville RACV Country Club staff last week.
Greening Australia hosted the day, teaming up with the local Wurundjeri elders and the Shire of Yarra Ranges to provide a full day of activities at the former Coranderrk Aboriginal Mission.
The RACV Club is a partner with Greening Australia in delivering the Educating For The Environment Program.
Staff members joined students from Healesville High School, St Brigid’s and Badger Creek Primary School as they got a little dirt under their fingernails, cooked damper over a campfire, hooked up to a complex biosphere – before being annihilated up the food chain by the totally negligent use of “weed” killer (they loved that bit).
They threw boomerangs, learned of the heritage of the local Aboriginal people from Wurundjeri elders and messed around in the mud (not so much the RACV staff).
Greening Australia Schools’ Co-ordinator, Peter Preuss, said the day was an introduction tothe AuSSI (Australian Sustain-able School Initiative) a nation-ally accredited program for schools.
“The next step is for me to work with the schools on a biodiversity audit of the school with the students and establish an action plan for their school grounds,” Mr Preuss explained.
“In this shire, what we are doing is introducing them to AuSSI, but at the same time saying look at what your shire has got to offer because if they do the shire’s program, which includes energy conservation, waste management and water conservation.
“They get accreditation on the AuSSI program,” he said.