Pupils from eight Bega Valley Shire public schools converged on Eden Public School last Thursday April 7, for a day of gardening workshops, skill-sharing, guest presenters and projects.
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The event was initiated by Dan Bakker, sustainable school gardens’ specialist, educator and permaculture teacher, who, for the past five years, has been assisting schools across the Shire in the design, construction and maintenance of gardens and garden programs.
Forty students attended the convergence at Eden Public School, from the public schools of Tanja, Merimbula, Bemboka and Wolumla, as well as St Patricks in Bega, Thomas Moore Montessori School in Bega and the Sapphire Coast Anglican College.
“This event was held to celebrate and enhance the profile of sustainable garden projects in schools throughout the shire,” Mr Bakker said on Tuesday April 12.
“Since schools have progressed so far with their individual projects I felt the time had naturally come for a sharing and networking of all their amazing programs.”
Over the course of the day students gave presentations on their individual projects highlighting their unique achievements, with every school offering an abundance of produce, plants and seed to share and swap.
Mr Bakker said a day’s highlight was a poultry-care presentation by Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins of Tabandy Farm, which included hypnotizing two of her chooks.
“Aunty Aileen Blackburn and Annabel Dorrough from the Aboriginal Women at Yam-Fields (AWAY) program, at Jigamy Farm gave an interesting talk and display of classical bush foods and tools, and spoke of re-establishing the yam fields along the Monaro plains,” Mr Bakker said.
Ladies from the Wyndham Basketeers instructed students to make string from twisting reeds, which were used for binding pea-trellises made from Elephant Grass grown by Eden Public School pupils.
Mr Bakker then shared some facts about preserving own-grown seed, with the schools agreeing to supply seed back to the seed-bank of the Bega Valley Seed Savers, for distribution throughout the valley.
“Robyn Rosenfeldt, Bega Valley resident and editor of Pip Magazine, gave each school a copy of her latest magazine, and shared great ideas and knowledge,” Mr Bakker said.
"Then each school went home with a show-bag of goodies!”
Mr Bakker said due to the success of this inaugural event, the students and staff have all agreed to meet again this spring, this time to be hosted by Bemboka Public School.