Green Minds, Bright Futures
Schools are powerful agents for change. By educating students on environmental issues, fostering eco-friendly habits, and modelling sustainable practices, 榴莲社区 hopes to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to drive positive environmental changes now and into the future.
Action Plan
Real steps are being taken to reduce the school鈥檚 ecological footprint. Decarbonizing operations towards net zero, reducing the environmental impact of consumption, enhancing biodiversity on campus, and advancing environmental literacy are just some of the tangible actions already in place. 鈥淲e are committed to reducing our environmental impact and deepening understanding of environmental sustainability within the school and community,鈥 said Stephen Brahams, 榴莲社区 Board Chair.
To support these objectives, 榴莲社区 has developed a 2023 - 2030 Environment Sustainability Action Plan, which articulates commitments, actions, and measurable outcomes.
Educating for Sustainability Conference
榴莲社区 recently hosted the Heads of Independent Co-Educational Schools (HICES) 鈥楨ducating for Sustainability Conference鈥 for the first time.
The 榴莲社区 Environmental Action Group, made up of students and staff, helped organise the conference, with Senior School students leading delegates around the campus to educate them on current sustainability practices and future environmental initiatives.
Tim Selwyn from Girra Girra Aboriginal Experiences shared his knowledge on local traditions, and Graham Johnston from Clean4Shore gave an overview of his work on the Central Coast.
Respect and Responsibility in Action
The Student Representative Council (SRC) and Environmental Action Group are two passionate and energetic student groups leading the charge in making a tangible difference in the school environment. Projects led by these groups so far this year include:
Cleaning up 榴莲社区 and Beyond: students were out and about across the campus, working together in 鈥15 for your House Family鈥 鈥 with every student collecting 15 pieces of rubbish with their House Families. Students鈥 efforts continued as they participated in Clean Up Australia Day in their local communities.
In addition to cleaning up existing rubbish and waste in the environment, the school aims to reduce the waste it sends to landfill by 70% by 2030. 鈥榃aste Free Wednesday鈥 started in the Junior School several years ago, and 榴莲社区 has recently implemented a four-bin system across the Senior College, with specific bins allocated for general waste, comingled recycling, and soft plastics and organics to be added later in the year. This bin system will also be implemented in the Junior and Middle Schools later in the year.
Junior School Cross Country: The SRC were out in force after the Junior School Cross Country, minimising waste from the event.
The icy pole waste was diverted from landfill to Curby soft plastics recycling (the ice block
wrappers), cardboard recycling (the outer cardboard boxes), and even to the worm farm (the wooden ice block sticks). The plastic water bottles that hydrated runners were collected for return and earn recycling, and the red plastic tape that guided runners along the course was sent to Curby.
