The Environment Group is a student initiated group of around 23 students selected from years 7-10. The Environment Group aims to improve the environmental sustainability and standing of Moruya High. They are currently working on many projects such as:
- Students are regenerating a small wetland area on a remnant creek course near the back of the school. Students are involved in drawing up plans for the project, researching plants which will be best suited to the area and planting them.
- Produced an environmental awareness display for the green fair that was held at Batemans Bay in June as part of World Environment Day.
- Developing an educational program encouraging students in year 7 to be more aware of the rubbish used in school lunches.
- Researching wind turbines to decide which will be most suitable for our school. Two small turbines are looking to be the best at the moment because this will make maintenance easier.
- Co-ordinated the collection of mobile phones for recycling into fence posts to be donated to farmers affected by the recent Victorian Bush Fires.
- Designing a T-shirt to represent the group and its aims.
- National Threatened Species Day on the 7th of September
The main activity the Environment group members have been working on during term one has been research tasks. We aim to develop some informative posters to distribute around the school and to use as the basis for competitions and exhibitions outside the school. These research tasks cover topics such as how solar panels work, electric cars and threatened species in the Eurobodalla area including plants, animals and fish.
The threatened plant species project will be used to develop a dedicated garden in the school grounds. Some members of the group are contacting nurseries in the area to gather some of these plants. Meanwhile on Wednesday afternoons Mrs Mason and Mr Lomax are planting decorative gardens at the front of the school and continuing the re-vegetation of the creek. This work is done on Wednesday afternoons during sport and includes many members of the school community including some from the Environment Group.
Some of the money the school was granted to complete this project is being used to control African Love Grass on the grounds. This is a noxious weed that is being targeted across the Eurobodalla.
The school has been told that its application for an extra set of solar panels has been successful however there are still more bureaucratic hoops to jump through. The process is not as simple as it was when we were granted our first set of solar panels.
Some members of the group are responding to a government survey to show how the school is progressing as a sustainable institution.
We are hoping to have an excursion this term to work on Montague Island to assist with environmental surveys. Hopefully we will have a day with better weather this year as this excursion had to be cancelled at the last moment last year because of the difficulty of crossing the water.
