Gardening and Composting

Facts and Figures

Growing your own garden can help the environment in many different ways such as:

  • Growing your own food can reduce packaging and pollution needed when you buy groceries 

  • Growing flowers and other plants can create habitats for wildlife especially birds and insects

  • Gardening can help clear the air from pollution and create more green spaces 

 

Composting is also important! It reduces the amount of food scraps that ends up wasted in landfill and it also creates nutrient-rich soil to help your gardens grow! Did you know that:

0 %
Of the rubbish Australians put in the general waste bin could be composted or put in a worm farm!
0 %
Of the greenhouse gases produced is from organic waste in landfills 

Gardening and Composting:
Activities & Competitions

Have you taken notice of any cute animals that regularly visit you school’s garden, such as frogs, butterflies or birds? What could you do to improve the garden to attract more of these animals?

You can start by creating fun, accessible habitats using recycled materials that you would otherwise dispose of. Submit photos of your awesome creations and informative posters for your chance to win a cool Bunnings prize pack that you can share with the rest of your class! 

Good luck with your Happy Habitats!

Step 1: Investigate your garden's ecosystem

Before getting started you’ll have to gain a better understanding of the ecosystem you’re dealing with so that you can choose the most suitable habitat to construct in that environment. Here are some questions you should consider when investigating your garden: 

  • What animals do I already see on a regular basis?
  • What animals would I like to attract to the garden that may benefit the rest of the ecosystem? e.g. pollinators that may help spread pollen from native flowers. 
  • How can I compliment the garden with the habitat I create? e.g. creating a frog habitat nearby a pond.  

 

Step 2: Choose the animal

As a team decide on which animal you would like to create a habitat for. Or feel free to decide on a few! We have provided some examples below but feel free to research other potential DIY animal habitats that you could construct e.g. bird habitat, lizard habitats etc. 

Think about the recycled materials you could use to create these habitats e.g. using offcuts of pipes for a frog habitat. 

 

Step 3: Start building!

With the guidance and supervision of your teacher you can start building the habitat of your choice. Here are some questions you should consider whilst constructing: 

  • Where in the garden will this be positioned?
  • Based on where you plan to locate the structure, will the habitat be accessible to the animal? 
  • Will the habitat compliment surrounding features of the garden? e.g. a bird feeder would go great under a tree where a bird might land on.

 

 

Frog Hotel created by the 2022 EcoMarines of Oakleigh SS

Step 4: Create an informative poster on your habitat

Now that you have constructed your habitat, you can share your knowledge on it with the rest of the school community! Create an informative poster that you can hang up close to your newly constructed habitat, so that when people look upon your creation they can gain a better understanding of why it’s there. Here are some points you can include: 

  • What animal is the habitat for?
  • How does the garden benefit with the presence of this habitat structure and animal?
  • What materials did you use to create this?
 

Take photos of your beautiful creations along with your informative posters and submit it to us below or send us an email by the submission date, Friday 27th OctoberThe EcoMarines team will choose a few entries to win a Bunnings prize pack for you and your class to improve your school’s garden!

Extra Resources and Activities

BCC Schools- Free Native Plants Registration

If your school is within the Brisbane City Council region, you can apply for free native plants to help your school create clean, green habitats for our local wildlife. 

Compost Rebate

Get a rebate from your local council for purchasing compost equipment! 

ShareWaste

Find a nearby communal compost bin or worm farm where you can dispose of your food scraps and organic waste. 

Composting and Worm Farms

To help with food waste and feeding your garden, why not implement a compost bin or worm farm at your school? 

Gronative Plant App

Our friends at Griffith University have created an app to help you design a native garden in SouthEast Queensland. 

Gardens and the Curriculum

There are plenty of organisations that help with linking gardening, cooking and the curriculum. Check these links out: 

Native Bee Hives

Native bee hives are a great way to pollinate your school gardens. Check out this resource to see how you can get your own! 

School Spotlights!

Shopping cart0
There are no products in the cart!