Westport High School (WPS) has been recognised for its contribution to Landcare at the 2011 Regional Landcare Awards, held in Grafton recently.
Regional Landcare Facilitator, Jodie Gager, said that the Awards acknowledge the achievements of the Westport Environment Team (WET) members who commit their own time to care for the school’s incredible natural environment, producing a powerful and wide ranging educational approach to Rainforest Biodiversity.
WET was one of ten Northern Rivers community groups and individuals recognised at the Awards.
The Westport Environment Team involvement includes:
nInvestigating the biodiversity and developing the educational value of the school’s rainforest with the help of Landcare.
nTraining WET members as guides for their rainforest nature trail, using ipads as the training aid.
nEducating Primary school students in Port Macquarie about the Westport High Rainforest.
nInvolving aboriginal students as nature trail guides and developing aboriginal craft activities related to the rainforest plants.
nSeeking close cooperation and support with key environmental groups and individuals such as: Port Macquarie Landcare, MacICT (a DET unit that runs the largest and most sophisticated environmental education effort in Australia); Jason Berrigan Ecologist (has produced an ecological survey of the school’s forest); Bill Peel (Port Macquarie Hastings Ecologist); Dr Stephen Phillips (preeminent koala expert); Wayne Anderson DET Aboriginal Education Officer; Port Macquarie Koala Hospital  (Koala Preservation Society of NSW); Mike Dodkin (former NPWS); Estelle Gough (Port Macquarie Landcare); and Bruno & Ann Ryan (Port Macquarie Landcare); among others.
And that’s just to name a few of WET’s contributions.
The Team is now automatically nominated for the 2011 State Landcare Awards to be held at the Parkes Landcare Muster in September.
