6 February 2009

Cawarral State School has taken out an award worth $500 to continue their efforts to look after the Great Barrier Reef from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

The ‘Ripples of Change Award’, recognising excellent environmental management, will allow Cawarral State School to implement new compost bins, worm farms and a chicken coop to recycle their organic waste.

Ms Megan Sperring from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) Reef Guardian Schools Program said composting, worm farming and keeping chickens were great ways to reduce the school’s ecological footprint.

“The children’s lunch scraps and waste from the canteen will all be recycled with the new project.  The worm farm juice and compost will make great fertiliser for the school yard plants, and the chickens will provide eggs for the kids to use or sell.”

Mrs Lynne Shanks, Reef Guardian School Program Coordinator, said the children would enjoy taking part in the waste management initiative. 

“The kids will be able to feed the chickens and the worms and see how their lunch scraps can be used rather than thrown into the bin.  It’s a great way to teach them about waste reduction and how rubbish ending up in the wrong place can be detrimental to our Great Barrier Reef.”

Mrs Shanks said she hoped the key messages would filter through the school environment into the home environment.

“The things we are doing here at school can be replicated at home.

“We hope that our message of reducing our waste going to landfill will be taken up by parents so the children can be teaching the whole family about what they are learning.”

Diane Walker, Regional Liaison Manager for the GBRMPA, will present the award to Cawarral State School and personally thank the school for their efforts on behalf of the GBRMPA for their efforts in helping to conserve the Great Barrier Reef for future generations.

The award presentation will take place on Wednesday 11 February at 9am at Cawarral State School, 125 Annie Drive Cawarral.