2023 | ISSUE 16 | SJC Newsletter

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

CUT THE WRAP

This term, our CUT THE WRAP initiative has extended to Year 8 students, with lunchbox inspections occurring during the year level gathering on Thursday mornings during homeroom. Chris Conroy’s 8K have set the pace with 24/28 students presenting “plastic wrap free” lunch boxes last week. Thank you to families that have already adopted our CUT THE WRAP approach to making lunches, helping your son/s reduce their carbon footprint and improve the environment both locally and globally. We encourage students at all Year levels to get on board.

CAREY EMBANKMENT UP

On Tuesday 10 October, our gardeners from Wild Places were on site for the day, to help facilitate the last mass tree plant for 2023, as part of the Carey Oval revegetation project. VCEVM students and Enviroservice participants worked hard to collectively plant indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses on the south and north embankments. Subsequently, VCEVM students continued planting out the south west embankment that was cleared of invasive plant species earlier in the year. Species planted included;
Austral Indigo (Indigofera australis), Black wattle (Acacia mearnsii), Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), Blue devil (Eryngium ovinum), Coast Flax-lily (Dianella brevicaulis) Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata), Gold dust wattle (Acacia acinacea), Hop Goodenia (Goodenia ovata), Kangaroo apple (Solanum lacianatum), Magenta Storksbill (Pelargonium rodneyanum), Rock correa (Correa glabra), Small-leafed clematis (Clematis microphylla), Sweet busaria (Bursaria spinosa), Small-leafed clematis (Clematis microphylla), Spear grass (Austrostipa sp), Tussock Grass (Poa labillardierei), Tree everlasting (Ozothamnus ferrugineus), Wallaby grass (Rytidosperma caespitosa and Yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp connata).

NATIONAL BIRD WEEK

Sustainability Leaders walked the grounds on Friday 20 October, to conduct a bird count for National Bird Week. Whilst many species were at bay given the warm conditions, several species were sighted and heard at various parts of the College grounds. Bird species present included; Eastern Rosella, Magpie, Magpie Lark, New Holland Honey Eater, Rainbow Lorikeet, Raven, Swallow and Wattlebird. Other species witnessed on the grounds this year include; Corella, Crested Pigeon, Galah, Kestrel, Ibis, Sulfur Crested Cockatoo, Seagull and Willy Wagtail. As we are interested to document all species seen on the College grounds, if you have witnessed other bird species present, please forward details to; [email protected]

Kelly Jenkins
Sustainability Coordinator