Hands-on planting teaches about life

Year 4 students from Geraldton Primary School flexed their green thumbs recentlywhen volunteers from the Rio Tinto Earth Assist program stopped by.

With the help of Earth Assist team leader Jenna Ridley and Hannah Gulliver from Conservation Volunteers Australia, students planted succulents in the school’s vertical garden, created by Bunnings.

As the students had been studying sustainability, Year 4 teacher Helen Ferreira thought it would be a good opportunity for the students to take a hands-on approach.

“It’s so much better for them to be able to put their learning into context,” she said.

“It’s easy to say what we should do but this lets them experience it.

“If they don’t look after the plant it’ll die, and they can see that and realise they need to water and look after it.”

The program, which has been running since 2009, conducts three regional tours each year, visiting primary schools and high schools. While in the Mid West, Miss Ridley and Miss Gulliver also visited Mount Tarcoola Primary School, Allendale Primary School, St Mary’s School in Northampton, and Geraldton Grammar.

Each school gets a tailored experience depending on what students have been studying, covering everything from environmental conservation to recycling.

Miss Ridley said teaching children about the environment from a young age would ensure they looked after it in the future.

“The program is educating kids about the environment and they’re also having fun outside,” she said.

“It’s a good way for them to learn about the natural environment, and it gets them used to nature.

“They’re also learning about what they’re putting into the environment and how to limit that, which is super important.”

Earth Assist is run by Conservation Volunteers Australia in partnership with Rio Tinto, the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife, and the WA Department of Education.