As part of our Sustainability focus and HASS curriculum, we have been fortunate to be able to participate in a tree-planting project at Blue Gum Lake in Mt Pleasant with South East Regional Centre for Urban Landscapes – SERCUL. Mr Bruce Ivers from Trees4Change will be coordinate the Tree Planting together with several SERCUL members.
The degraded, dry, western section of the lakebed at Blue Gum Lake, Mt Pleasant will be revegetated. It’s a very interesting project as the entire lakebed has been choked with lawn grasses over a meter high in places completely stopping any birds or most native wildlife from making use of the lake for many years. SERCUL cleared and killed the grasses, so it’s time to fill it with native vegetation, mostly rushes. The lake dries each year and only holds water for the winter and part of the spring, so it’s got a lot of potential as a breeding ground for birds, frogs and turtles once it’s been revegetated.
So please read the timetable below, and if you are available, please let your classroom teacher know and we will endeavour to have you attend. Parents will need to find their own way down to Blue Gum Lake.
- 45 – bus leaves FCPS (must leave on time!)
- 20 – arrive at Blue Gum Lake for a tree planting demonstration from Mr Ivers. (Meet at the corner of Canning Ave and Rogerson Road Mt Pleasant)
- 30 – 20 minute crunch and sip
- 50 – 12.00 – Continue Tree Planting.
- 00 – 12.30 – Lunch.
- 30 – 1.45 – Tree planting.
- 45 – 10 min crunch and sip
- 00 – Depart Blue Gum Lake
- 40 – Arrive FCPS
Food. Students need to provide their own food for the day, 2 x crunch and sip and lunch. Students should bring two full water bottles. There will be an opportunity to refill our water bottles. Please pack food and the water bottle in a labelled plastic bag, together with the second pair of shoes and socks if necessary.
Clothing. Students will need closed in shoes, old if possible and a spare pair for the way home, a hat, and a school uniform. The lake bed is soft, silty black clay and still quite moist in some areas so prepare to get dirty! It may be advisable to put in an old towel as well.
