Students from five schools in Parkes joined schools from Forbes, Eugowra and Tullamore to celebrate Schools Tree Day at Eco Day 2016 last week. Central West Lachlan Landcare (CWLL) provided bus travel and workshops to Year
5 and 6 students in a variety of environmental and rural related activities. The workshops included making Net- Waste Worm Farms; Plant Care and Propagation with Bunnings; Travelbugs Insects; FishCare with Russell Spencer, who also talked about Wiradjuri culture; Parkes and Forbes Shire Councils weeds demonstration and talk and a saleyards tour with Cooper Byrnes from Langlands Hanlon.
The day finished with a hands on workshop from Paul Kirk, also known as ‘The Snake Man’. Paul let the students get up close with the reptiles, like a python, and he talked about snake safety, how to handle non-venomous snakes and what to do if bitten. Chris Lane and Jessica Marsh from Invasive Species CRC spoke about how domestic pets can become at pest in certain environments.
“We want the kids to go away thinking about what they can do at home and school to make a difference and prevent needless wastage. We hope that students leave with a wider perspective of the connection between humans and the environment we live in,” said Margot Jolly, CWLL Chairperson.
CWLL received funding for Eco Day from Central West Local Land Services, and support from the Parkes and Forbes Shire Councils.
By Marg Applebee