Students catch the Landcare bug
STUDENTS from around the Sarina district have learnt a a thing or two about aquatic bugs.
Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association recently held a series of educational, interactive school activity days themed "Understanding and caring for our catchment". Over two days, 265 students from Alligator Creek, Swayneville and St Anne's primary schools came together at the Sarina State High School Agricultural Department's rural skills centre to take part in the event.
All students participated in a variety of activities, which gave them a greater understanding of how to care for our catchment.
The activities were delivered by enthusiastic volunteers and staff from SLCMA, Sarina State High School agricultural department and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Students were treated to a guided tour of the innovative farm practices at the Sarina Rural Skills Centre; they gained an understanding of how catchments work and ways to keep our waterways healthy.
They also had the opportunity to get up close and personal with macro invertebrates (waterbugs) as they learnt about their use as an indicator for waterway health.
The activity days were funded by the State Government's Natural Resource Awareness Grants 2012.
The funding, part of the Queensland Government's commitment to the environment, provided integral support towards transport for schools to attend the event; the purchase of resources for school activity kits that are now available for loan by local schools and development of activity booklets for all students and teachers who took part in the event.
The activity booklets contain information for each activity and are able to be used for future studies in the classroom.
