Ignatius Park College is one of ten Reef Guardian Schools throughout the state that will be rewarded for keeping the Great Barrier Reef healthy through environmental initiatives undertaken in the past year.  

The school will be presented with a Reef Guardian School Annual Award of $1000 next week, as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Reef Guardian Schools program.

Reef Guardian Acting Director Nathan Walker said the school would receive the "Habitat Heroes Award" for their inventive and resourceful participation in the program.

"The students developed the Ross River Bush Garden project after reporting deterioration in the quality of Aplins Weir on the Ross River," Mr Walker said.

"They took on the responsibility of developing potential solutions to manage and improve the habitat and have participated in cleanups and revegetation at the site, created firebreaks and removed weeds.

"The students also worked with other Landcare volunteers every third Saturday of the month at the site."

Reef Guardian Schools are located throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchment and each undertakes a variety of activities aimed at improving the Reef's health and resilience.

Through these activities students learn about the connections between the land and the Reef and the role they can play in looking after it.

There are currently 279 schools and over 110,000 students involved in the Reef Guardian Schools program, which is now in its ninth year.

All Reef Guardian Schools manage their own resources (energy, waste, water and biodiversity), and educate their friends, families and communities about the difference we can all make by 'working together today for a healthier Reef tomorrow'.