During Term 4 the students at Hastings Public School were lucky enough to receive a $400 Tree Levy grant from the NSW Teachers Federation.
The school’s Environment Friends group will use these funds to plant a further 400 trees in their rainforest restoration site.
The students from Year 3 to 6 have been planting many trees this year, with thanks to two lots of external funding and support from Port Macquarie Landcare.
By mid-2012 the students will have planted nearly 1,000 rainforest trees on their school project site.
All plants have been sourced from the local species available at the Port Macquarie Landcare Community Nursery.
Students have spent many lunchtimes planting, watering and tree guarding the rainforest trees.
The Environment Friends have spent nearly 100 volunteer hours on the project site this year – and their progress is clearly visible.
School Principal, Grant Heaton says, “It is great to see the students taking ownership of the rainforest area.
“They enjoy the opportunity to plant trees at lunchtime and see the range of wildlife this area has attracted,” he said.
“We host koalas, lizards, many birds, even a python snake.
“Having a rainforest area in the school grounds is a real treat.”
