2023 | ISSUE 9 | SJC Newsletter

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

INDIGENOUS ARTWORK INTERACTIVE SIGNAGE

To celebrate Reconciliation Week our long-term goal of establishing interactive signage to complement our Indigenous artwork series, has come to fruition. Utilising QR codes laser cut into Victorian Ash timber plaques, the community is now able to access the narrated stories for each of the four-artwork series (Animals, Culture, Water and You Yangs) by artist Bri Apma Hayes with the use of a phone or iPad. I would like to acknowledge our First Nations students involved in the narration of the series; Zachariah Millar, Morris O’Neill- Wood and former student Jacob Assemani. Special thanks also to the following staff members that assisted in various stages of the project; Leanne Adams, Andrew Ball, Matthew Boccia, Sue Collins, Lachy Porter and Charlie Purdy, Doug Summers and former staff member Mark Hagebols.

MAKING EDDIE COIN

In response to Touchstone Leader Luke Stacey’s initiative to promote the expediency of Eddie Coin production, the idea of training a selected number of students to make Eddie Coin was incepted. The concept was well received and many students across all year levels were eager to sign up to make Eddie Coins. Selected students conducted two lunchtime training sessions, followed by an Eddie Coin workshop. utilising the Injection Moulding Machine. Participants took part in creating some Eddie coins and collaborated to design the “prototype for the second edition, to be launched during Term 3. I would like to thank staff member Andrew Read for the facilitation of the training and workshop and congratulate the following students on the completion of their training and production of “Eddie Coin”; Jack Allan, Cameron Alphinstone, Edison Bell, Hayden Cieciura, Joseph Corcoran, Kade Hyde, Morgan Mennerich-Rabanin, Sam O’ Neill, Ethan Read, Luke Stacey and Isaac Versteegen.

I have loved all the sustainability opportunities I have done so far and my favorite has been Eddie coin making. We did two lunch times and an after-school session. The lunch times were to do a worksheet to see if we were eligible to use the machine and the after-school session was actually making the Eddie coins. It was really fun we got to push the mould clamp together and make the coins. We also got to sort out bottle caps but that wasn’t as much fun. When It was my turn to make them I was really excited and it was really fun. I would do it again! Morgan Mennerich-Rabanin – Year 7

HABITAT ASSESSMENT

As part of our commitment to the ResourceSmart program, on Tuesday 6 June, Yr 7 Sustainability Leaders together with Bram McLeod, ResourceSmart Schools Facilitator, Environment Education Victoria, conducted a Habitat Assessment of the Edmund Rice Campus, to assess our progress and improvements in the area of biodiversity. Elements of the assessment incorporated; documenting the number of habitat trees (above 6metres), shrubs and understory, groundcover, soil management, percentage mulch cover, productive gardens, weed action, animals and extra features. We are pleased to announce a resulting score of 79/100 (2023) compared to previous scores of 73 (2018) and 68 (2015). I would like to thank Bram McLeod for facilitating the workshop and the following sustainability leaders for their involvement on the day; Zubayr Akhtar, Lachlan Brady, Hamish Cooke, Maverick Evans, James Hayward, Morgan Mennerich-Rabanin, William Nolan, George Mansfield, Harry McIntyre, Coda Philpot, Xavier Shanahan &William Wylie.

I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing work of staff member Alex Munro (Grounds/ Maintenance) for the continued maintenance and management (often unseen) of the grounds (including soil management) and the work of our contracted gardener Phil Hunter and team from Wild Places Management and Consulting, for their ongoing and often challenging work on the Carey Oval embankments.

Members of the Sustainability team had the opportunity to work with Ms Jenkins and Bram for a Habitat Assessment on 6 June. We learnt about certain plants and counted numbers for different types of trees. It was a great opportunity to learn about the animals and how to be more sustainable. I am so grateful for this opportunity and would love to do it again. Hamish Cooke – Year 7

Today we walked around the school and counted plants, birds, rocks plus more. I learnt about ow many plants were native and non-native and what the difference is.

William Wylie – Year 7

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CHALLENGE

In a bid to establish a complete register of indigenous bird species that frequent the College grounds, The World Environment Challenge was incepted. Students were provided the opportunity to write a paragraph for publication in the student bulletin, regarding facts relating to an indigenous bird species they had witnessed at the College. Congratulations to the following students for their contribution; Lachlan Brady, Archie Cook, Hamish Cooke, George Gemmill, James Hayward, Allister Hill, Morgan Mennerich-Rabanin; Harrison Smith, Weiland Tyler Gangoso, Oscar Winiecki and William Wylie.

Bird species reviewed include; Butcherbird, New Holland Honeyeater, Magpie, Rainbow Lorikeet, Crested Pigeon, Eastern Rosella, Upland Sandpiper and Wattlebird.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY TREE PLANTING

To celebrate World Environment Day (5 June), our contracted gardeners Phil Hunter and Ellie Brundt visited the College on Tuesday 6 June, to support students with the next stage of the Carey Oval Revegetation project. Concentrating on the south embankments, work commenced with the design and laying out of plants on the south garden, followed by planting during lunchtime by volunteers together with our College Identity Leader, Mrs Mary Malone. Species planted in this garden bed included; Common woodruff (Asperula conferta) Slender speedwell (veronica gracillis) Austral Indigo (Indigofera australis) Smooth parrot-pea (Dillwynia glaberrima), Australian tobacco (Nicotiana suaveolen), Austral storksbill (Pelargonium austral), Rock Correa (Correa glabra) and Common Wallaby-grass (Rytidosperma caespitosa).

Planting continued into the afternoon, with a new group of volunteers signing up to complete Enviroservice after school. Following the completion of planting out the south garden and the addition of Kidney Weed (Dichondra repens) into the garden beds adjacent to the new Sports Complex, the following trees, shrubs and grasses were planted behind the pavilion on the south east corner of the oval; Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticilliata), Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata), Fragrant saltbush (Rhagodia parabolica), Silver Banksia (banksia marginata), Golden Wattle (acacia pycnantha) Lightwood (acacia implexa), Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. connata) Tree Everlasting (ozothamnus ferrugineous) Snowy mint-bush (Prostranthera nivea), Tussock Grass (Poa labillardierei), Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides), Red oat grass (themeda triandra).

NEW SPECIES FOR RECONCILIATION GARDEN

Over the past fortnight, Sustainability Leaders and volunteers have worked through Friday lunchtimes to rejuvenate our treasured Reconciliation garden, with the introduction of several new indigenous species including;

Kidney weed (Dichondra repens), Native violet (Viola hederacea), Weeping Grass (Microlaena stipoides), Red oat grass (themeda triandra), Smooth parrot-pea (Dillwynia glaberrima), Yellowish bluebell (Wahlenbergia luteola), Slender speedwell (veronica gracillis), Common woodruff (Asperula conferta), Austral Indigo (Indigofera australis) and Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata). Several Rock Correa (Correa glabra) and Gold Dust wattle (acacia acinacea) were also included for extra colour, raising the total number of new plants in this garden to one hundred. Coupled with the new plantings around the Paul Tobias Centre and Carey Oval embankments, a total of 500 new trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted at the Edmund Rice Campus in recent weeks.

TREE PROJECT

In alignment with our Sustainability goals to increase biodiversity and the 2023 St Joseph’s College theme “Open our Heart and Minds to build a better world for all”, this semester we engaged with the “Tree Project”, a not for profit organisation incepted in1989, with the purpose of revegetating rural areas across Victoria with indigenous flora species. The program involves training volunteers to propagate indigenous trees, shrubs and grasses and care for the plants until they reach an appropriate size for planting. At designated times throughout the year, seedlings are then distributed to rural landholders and Landcare groups for planting, to help restore Victoria’s damaged ecosystems. To date, over 2 million trees have been planted by volunteers in the program. Mt Sion students commenced propagating 350 seeds of various species (Including Moonah, Red River Gum, Golden Wattle, Climbing Saltbush and Black Box) in December 2022 and whilst there were many tribulations and varying successes of individual species, they successfully conducted the “hand over” of seedlings, just ahead of World Environment Day ready for planting on 6 June near Kerang.

During the HeadStart program in Term 4 2022, Year10 landscaping students commenced planting the seeds of 350 native plants for a state Tree Project. Over the course of this year, students have supervised their growth, initially in the green house and later outside the Applied Learning shed. Watering, weeding and ensuring they were disease and pest free were main concerns, but all controlled. In recent weeks, students completed a final check and “packup” in preparation for handing them back, ready to planted for a revegetation project on several farms in the Kerang region. The associated images showcase students in the greenhouse making the final checks and packing of 100 Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata) plants.

Andrew Read.

COMMUNITY NOTICES

WESTERN BEACH CLEAN UP – SATURDAY 22 JUNE - SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

The 3220 Beach Patrol Geelong group have scheduled a one-hour beach “Clean-up”, commencing at 9am on Saturday 22 June at Western Beach, Waterfront. Reusable bags and claws will be supplied. Participants are to bring their own gloves.

For more information and to register your interest, visit the 3220 Beach Patrol Group on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/3220beachpatrol/

Kelly Jenkins
Sustainability Coordinator