Sustainability
Amy Hurd Early Learning Centre is passionate about educating children about environmental and sustainable practices.
We have installed solar panels, solar hot water, self timer taps, water wise gardens, native plants, vegetable gardens, worm farm, bee hotel, etc.
We collect recyclable materials for craft as well as recycling as much as possible.
Scraps are fed to the worms or educators take them home for their chooks and dogs. Nothing is wasted.
Call in to see our amazing outdoor environment.
Some of our sustainable practices:
If you are thinking a year ahead,
Sow a seed.
If you are thinking a decade ahead,
Plant a tree.
If you are thinking a century ahead,
Educate the people.
(Chinese proverb)
- Cherie and the Ladybird children most recently created a 'Take a plant, leave a plant' stall. This was to promote the sharing of plants, succulents and seedlings. We encouraged families to bring in some cuttings of plants to leave at the stall and then take one in return.
- The Ladybird children helped to install and put together our new greenhouse and we have begun growing some plants and vegetables in it. The Bumblebee and Ladybird children regularly check and water our plants, ensuring they receive the nutrients they need!
- We have turned our recycled bathtub into a worm farm! The children help an educator to feed the worms our food scraps and frequently collect the worm castings (worm wee). Many families donate gold coins to purchase the worm wee to use as an organic garden fertiliser. This money is then put towards new plants/seedlings for our greenhouse or vegetable garden.
- Similar to our greenhouse, the Bumblebee and Ladybird children care for and look after our vegetable garden. We use the fresh produce in our meals, to feed our bearded dragon 'Spike', or to send home with families.
- Each year we participate in 'Clean up Australia Day'. Discussions with the children about the importance of recycling, placing our rubbish in the correct bins and caring for our environment occur which is then embedded into our practice. We go out to the reserve behind our Centre and collect any waste lying around to engage in meaningful hands on learning experiences.
- Wagga City Council came to visit and teach us all about bees. They gifted us a bee hotel which we learnt would be a great home for Australian native bees and that these are the type of bees that don't have stingers. Our bee hotel hangs in our apple tree in the backyard to keep our bees safe.
- The Ladybird children entered a sustainability competition at Lutheran Primary School by making an upcycled water wall. Costa judged the competition with our children taking out first prize.
