By Jed Lanyon
Healesville Primary School opened its new sustainability hub on Monday 28 October, complete with a veggie garden, compost bins and a large chook pen.
Sustainability coordinator Rosie House said she is happy to see kids take on the program with confidence.
“We’ve planted beetroot, chives, celery, snow peas, strawberries and we’re about to plant pumpkins, zucchinis and a whole lot of veggies too,” Ms House said.
When it comes time to harvest, the produce is taken to be used in the school’s kitchen cooking program, while the scraps are given to the chickens: Hermione, Rosie, Miranda, Miss Chicken and Bobbie.
One student, Lucas, said “We’ve cooked pizza, we’ve made beeswax wraps, dumplings, rice paper rolls and spanakopita.”
He explained that the wicking bed garden allows for plants to be watered from below the surface.
“The pipe goes down and it feeds all the roots and then the roots grow,” he said.
“It means that you don’t have to water it all of the time which will be helpful over the holidays… It’s pretty self-sufficient, Ms House said.
Lucas was one of the students who put forward the design of the chook pen that was eventually constructed by Healesville High School’s VCAL students.
He said his class were looking at how to design and make different things around the school.
“Me and my friend decided we would look at how to make a chook pen. We designed and drew up our own one and it ended up being that one,” said Lucas, pointing towards his school’s new chook pen.
“It feels really good and was fun to help design.”
Lucas said one of the key features would be to ensure that chickens would not escape and would be safe and secure.
Healesville High School students returned to the primary school to put in some finishing touches such as keeping the structure proofed from foxes.
“A lot of the kids who have been involved in the project actually came to the school,” Ms House said.
“I actually taught some of them when they were in Grade 2. To see them again and for them to be a part of this project has been fantastic.
“I think it really strengthens the community spirit between the two schools.”
Healesville High School integration aid Danny Zemp, said that the project is ongoing as the primary school plans to build a shed and fit a water tank in the hub.
“It’s gelling together in a beautiful way where we as teachers are sitting back to allow the students to put together this project by themselves.
“Rosie was instrumental in organising all the grants and paperwork here. I’m really proud of all the students who helped here. They’ve done a really good job.”
Mr Zemp said the two schools did well to minimise the costs of construction by using recycled and unwanted materials that will take the school a long way to achieve the construction of the shed and water tank.
Ms House said the aim of the sustainability hub is to help raise environmentally conscious citizens.
“It’s much better than being stuck in the classroom all day… It’s all about enhancing their love of the earth.”
Healesville Primary School is seeking the assistance of local businesses to help contribute to their hub in any way they can.
