Bayside College students Chloe and Cameron help plant 300 trees at their school. 72834 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Vanessa Chircop
STUDENTS at Bayside College, Altona North spent last Friday planting indigenous trees that will make up their urban forest and dinosaur trail.
The school was able to create the forest after being awarded a Mobil Bright Future Grant.
Campus principal Robert Evans said every student at the school from prep to Year 9 planted a tree, including representatives from Mobil, the community library and the Newport Lakes Native Nursery.
Mr Evans said the project was spearheaded by the academic achievers class with teacher Rosemary Joslyn the driving force behind receiving the grant.
“The aim will be, into the future that the kids will get out and maintain their tree and do some more formal education while at it,” he said.
The space will allow teachers to conduct outdoor classroom exercises through boxes along the trail and an outdoor classroom space.
Mr Evans said the project was also about reducing the school’s carbon footprint by offsetting their emissions with the trees.
“We want to keep the community aware of conservation issues,” he said.
The grant, which is designed to support the development of maths and science activities in local schools and kindergartens, provided the school with about $4,500 in funding.
Bayside College was one of 17 schools and kindergartens in the area to be awarded the grant.
A spokesperson for Mobil said the company was pleased to fund the project.
“Our Bright Future grants are designed to support the development of maths and science activities in local schools and kindergartens, and are provided to successful applicants each year,” she said.
