Warooga’s active role in the environment
Sustainability has been a popular topic at Warooga recently, and we understand the importance of educating our children to build awareness of sustainable practice. We have all had our passion for sustainability reignited, and we are embarking on a journey to embed sustainability into our program on a daily basis.
We started our Journey in July 2016 when we purchased resources from ‘Backyard In A Box’ and introduced the worm farm. The children in the kindy rooms became responsible for feeding the worms with food scraps from the Centre. We then installed a compost bin and rainwater tank which would later become embedded in our everyday practices.
At the same time we also liaised with a renovating company called ‘Child Scapes’ to prepare a plan to renovate our outdoor environment. Our vision was coming to life, and in January 2017 we contacted a landscaper to finalise our plan and commence renovations.
One of the first steps was to replace the artificial grass around the structured play fort with sand to create a more natural soft fall for the children. During this time the landscapers also fixed a large rain water tank to our down pipes, added vegetable and herb gardens to all outdoor environments, planted magnolia trees, small shrubs and lots of yummy fruit trees. Each morning the children arrive at the centre excited to see how our vegetation are growing.
The children are also involved in watering the vegetable gardens by pouring the water into small watering cans from the rain water tank. They help the educators to water the magnolia trees using the big hose. We were lucky enough to have a reticulation system for our fruit trees and other small plants. This means the children are able to assist the educators in connecting the hose and pressing the required buttons to set the timer.
As well as our amazing outdoor transformations, the educators at Warooga are constantly looking for ways to embed sustainability in their daily education for the children. There is a job roster for the Kindy Room children, and we have Power Rangers, Water Rangers and Energy Savers which allow the children to be responsible for noticing lights, fans and other appliances left or used.
We also introduced an initiative about the conservation of water. We purchased water buckets, and at the end of meal time children are encouraged to tip their spare water into the buckets. The children then help to carry the water out and tip it into our gardens. During the process Educators and children discuss the importance of minimizing waste.
Watch this space for more updates about our environmental and sustainable play practices!
