Creating an Indigenous Garden with St Leonards Primary School

Bellarine Bayside, together with Bellarine Landcare, supported St Leonards Primary School Grade 4 class in the establishment of a starfish-shaped indigenous garden. The garden has been created around their commemorative 1975 centenary sundial and will provide a diverse habitat to support native bees and butterflies.

The plants used, including native wildflowers, grasses, climbers and shrubs, were supplied by both Bellarine Bayside and Bellarine Landcare after a previous discussion to determine the requirements of the garden, design elements and biodiversity values. Bellarine Bayside’s Coastal Projects Officer, Leia Howes, is active in fostering cooperative partnerships between local organisations and the community, and has been instrumental in the development of a schools environmental education program.

This current project is a continuation of a School Environment Day held earlier in the year with Bellarine Bayside and Bellarine Catchment Network on the St Leonards foreshore. After planting, the students sat down with Bellarine Bayside and Bellarine Landcare staff to discuss the outcomes of the planting and devise an on-going maintenance plan for which they will be responsible.