Teaching regeneration to the next generation through Landcare at St Mary's Catholic College Gateshead

St Mary's Catholic College at Gateshead has been a Landcare school for the past 15 years and in that time students and staff have worked to improve the environment around the school grounds.

The school became affiliated with Lake Macquarie Landcare when teacher Maryanne Murray wanted to regenerate a watercourse that ran adjacent to the school playground.

"Back then it was what the students called a 'drain'," Ms Murray said.

Because the waterway ran through land owned by Lake Macquarie City Council, Ms Murray invited then-Landcare coordinator John Hughson to talk about a partnership between council and the school to regenerate the watercourse and embed environmental education in the curriculum.

Mr Hughson encouraged Ms Murray to register the school as a Landcare group.

"The rest is history," Ms Murray said.

After that, the "drain" was officially named Kennedy Creek. The school continues to regenerate the creek with the support of Lake Macquarie Landcare.

The initiative is currently led by science teacher Katrina Piper and includes a student environmental group, which runs eight Landcare days where the group plus about 30-40 others work to improve the urban bushland area, by removing weeds and planting, mulching and caring for native plants.

The Landcare project has also led to other environmental initiatives at the school including a Return and Earn program, compost bins, paper recycling, the introduction of stingless bees to the school playground, a frog garden, an Aboriginal bush tucker garden, installation of water tanks, water testing, a sustainable cafe which stocks reusable cups and containers and various types of recycling.

Both Ms Murray and Ms Piper said they loved seeing the students engage and learn about regeneration, but were also inspired by their passion for the initiative.

"Their energy, noise, enthusiasm, freedom and spirit is what drives me," Ms Murray said. "It inspires me to continue to make a difference in relation to environmental education at school and hopefully make a difference to their lives."

"Our young people are well aware that our planet is struggling to cope and they are often bombarded with information about the uncertainty of their future," Ms Piper said. "I believe that our school program gives students the opportunity to do something. They feel empowered by learning that small, individual actions can collectively make a big difference."