This year fourteen KU services were successful in each receiving up to $1,000 in funding via Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants to support projects relating to sustainability.
The projects enhanced sustainable food production, waste management, native habitats and First Nations perspectives, and provided services with the opportunity to get hands-on with nature and play an active role in caring for the natural environment.
Read below to learn more about how each service used the grant to support children’s learning.
KU Wickham Preschool
At KU Wickham Preschool, Director Charlotte Ashton says: “Our project aimed to build on our service’s focus on nature play and sustainability by creating a more biodiverse environment. We established garden beds with plants and flowers in preparation for our native beehive, which is now integrated into the space.
Our children were involved in the research, preparation, and planting of the garden beds before the bees arrived.
They particularly enjoyed expressing their interpretations of what the beehive would look like through drawings and artwork. They are also very mindful of the beehive now established and take the time to check on it, observing and sharing their findings with those around them.”
KU Playford Park Children’s Centre
With the support of their Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant, the children at KU Playford Park Children’s Centre are working together with educators to create a nurturing environment for flora and fauna, specifically habitats for blue-tongue lizards that currently inhabit the area.
Katrina, an educator in the Toddler Room, says “This project allows our toddlers to learn about where food comes from and to grow food for our kitchen.”
KU Randwick Coogee Preschool
At KU Randwick Coogee Preschool, the grant is supporting all children, families, and educators’ emotional, social well-being and connection to nature, while strengthening environmental well-being.
KU St Ives Barra Brui Preschool
At KU St Ives Barra Brui Preschool, Director Karen Wagner says, “Our project aimed to link our ‘Eat a Rainbow’ program to native bush tucker through the purchase of Vegepods and native herbs. The Vegepods were placed near our native beehive.
The children were involved in an incursion from Bush to Bowl that introduced them to native ingredients, and then the children helped us plant native herbs into the new Vegepods. Once the herbs have grown, we will harvest and eat them.
They particularly enjoyed helping with the planting of the herbs and doing little taste tests. Watering the pods daily is a favourite activity as the children have taken ownership and responsibility for the plants.”
KU Merewether Preschool
At KU Merewether Preschool, the team are redesigning and upgrading their existing veggie garden beds to include a beneficial garden. The support of the grant has contributed to children’s sustainability education in a hands-on way.
KU Mayfield Preschool
At KU Mayfield Preschool, the children and educators have been researching, planning, purchasing and building resources in collaboration with the local Men's Shed for the identified local wildlife.
KU Maidstone Children's Centre
At KU Maidstone Children's Centre, children are learning about growing their own food and are encouraged to try different fruits and vegetables with the support of the grant.
KU Koo Wee Rup Kindergarten
With the support of their Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant, the team at KU Koo Wee Rup Kindergarten is providing children with opportunities to learn how to grow their own food that can be consumed at kindergarten.
KU Killara Park Preschool
At KU Killara Park Preschool, they are building a beehive for their new native bees with a sensory garden outside the beehive’s door to support the bee population and children’s sustainability education.
KU John J Carroll Preschool
At KU John J Carroll Preschool, Aboriginal perspectives are embedded in the program with native gardens, promoting cultural understanding while enhancing biodiversity, supporting our native bees, and enhancing environmental sustainability.
KU Heathcote Preschool
At KU Heathcote Preschool, with the support of the grant, the educators and children are creating a community vegetable and bush tucker garden for educators, children and families to use for cooking healthy foods.
KU Grevillea Preschool
At KU Grevillea Preschool, children and educators are working together to increase the native bee population and enhance biodiversity in their space.
The children worked together to relocate the bee house and researched native bee care through informative picture books, viewing of the Ku-Ring-Gai Council website and KU Sustainability recordings on iPads. The children prepared and planted native Bush Tucker and fruit trees into garden beds and pots.
They particularly enjoyed the dedicated ‘bee learning centre’ for individual self-paced learning with peers.
KU Dianella Kindergarten
At KU Dianella Kindergarten, Director Samiksha Sharma says, “The aim of our project was to enhance our kindergarten garden for pollinators. Families engaged with our planting event with hands-on support. Children learnt about the natural environment and the importance of bees and insects in keeping the environment healthy. They learnt about the needs of insects such as pollinating plants for nectar, shelter and water on hot days. Children helped create a pollinator garden, decorate watering tray with mosaics for bees and placed rocks in the water so the bees wouldn’t drown. They helped create shelters for solitary native bees using planters.”
KU Burwood Preschool
At KU Burwood Preschool, children are learning to identify sustainable actions and how they can incorporate these into their daily practices within their service’s garden with the support of their Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant.