Category: Learning in Our Community

THE third Sea Shepherd Marine Debris clean-up was conducted successfully last month however, disappointingly, there was again a significant amount of rubbish along the foreshore and in the waterways.

Debris clean-up coordinator Sarah Briggs said the group was up to the challenge, with 40 participants helping to get the job done.  

By CHRISTINE KNIGHT*

THE East Derwent Primary School Kitchen Garden Program continues to teach students the valuable life skills of growing and harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables to prepare nutritious meals. Twice a week, grades three and four students learn new skills in the garden and kitchen and then sit down together at our dining table for a meal.

The Kitchen Garden Program recently received a welcome boost with a pallet of coir from Tasmanian Botanics. 

This will be used as part of our composting and seed raising programs.

ELEVEN Tasmanian schools are being supported by the Tasmanian Government through the Keep Australia Beautiful Tasmanian 2021 Sustainable Schools awards.

The awards provide funding to improve sustainability in schools and are supported by the Government, together with Hydro Tasmania and Mars Wrigley.

WELCOME to Brighton Council’s FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) service. At the end of last month, Council started delivering FOGO wheelie bins (240L bin with a lime green lid) and kitchen caddies to households in the Municipality. 

The kitchen caddy has information on how to look after both the caddy and FOGO wheelie bin. A magnet for your fridge shows you what can go in FOGO. Pop it on your fridge to help you remember and learn how to use FOGO.

It might take a while to get used to putting food scraps in the kitchen caddy. Find a system that works best. Perhaps discuss FOGO as a household regarding such things as where the kitchen caddy will be kept – near your normal rubbish bin, on your bench near where you prepare food, or under the kitchen sink? When you need to, empty the caddy into your FOGO wheelie bin – more often if there are scraps that might begin to smell, such as meat, fish or dairy products, which you wouldn’t perhaps typically have put in a home compost. That is one of the advantages of a FOGO service.

WHAT do a school fruit box program, a community hall renovation, a sustainable heating project, a student ‘work ready’ program and a new dishwasher all have in common? They’re among the recipients of Hydro Tasmania’s latest round of grant funding, with more than $50,000 going to worthy organisations. 

Hydro Tasmania was delighted to join the Jordan River Service Inc – Gagebrook Community Centre to celebrate their $4500 funding boost. This will expand the schools’ breakfast program to include weekly fresh fruit boxes for five local schools and over 1000 students. Thanks to Jordan River Learning Federation Herdsmans Cove Primary School for acting as hosts.

BUILD Up Tassie is in full swing this year. The crew for 2021 is entering its final few days in the construction work orientation program.

It’s worked through various tasks over the past nine weeks, including finance, general health and well-being topics, construction related maths, reading and understanding building plans, and small scale construction projects such as dog kennels and garden beds to build skills and confidence using power tools.