The next generation

Cascade PS students Robbie Carmody, 10, Aaron Wilkinson-King, 9, Young Environmentalist Award winner Jason Wilkinson, 11, and Harry Stead, 8.

Finding new water macro-invertebrates, spotting visiting birds from Siberia, learning about bush tucker,  becoming dieback warriors and planting thousands of native seedlings, these are just some of the exciting things students throughout the Esperance District have experienced in 2011.  South Coast NRM’s Biodiversity Education Program has had another rewarding year with valuable help from the ERF staff and Esperance Bird Observers Group volunteers.

The Mallee schools were out studying their favourite local spots as part of the Rivers and Wetlands Health Monitoring Program – including the Stokes Inlet, Roberts Swamp and the Scaddan and Truslove wetlands.  Grass Patch students were able to explain to the Cascade students the major differences they have recorded at Roberts Swamp over the past three years of studying this amazing fresh water Yates swamp.  And the Scaddan students would get the award for the most impressive mud effort as they succeeded how in getting water samples in the waders out of the Scaddan wetland.

Esperance, Castletown and Our Lady Star of the Sea have continued their studies on the Lake Warden Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change and have planted thousands of native seedlings.  Esperance Senior High School Years 8 and 10 and Bushranger Cadets were also involved.