ONE hundred and fifty students from Bundalaguah, Airly, Cobains and Seaspray primary schools participated in a BugBlitz field day at Giffard Flora and Fauna Reserve on Thursday thanks to funding from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The four schools received funding last year to employ science teachers to improve science teaching and program development in their schools by working together and in partnerships with other groups and agencies.
Bundalaguah Primary School teacher Leonie Sutherland said the funding allowed a teacher from each school, along with a teacher from Wurruk Primary School, to visit the Museum of Victoria for a science tour as part of the funding.
“Teachers doing the science program were involved in a science tour to the museum where we got to go behind the scenes and see exhibitions not on display to the public,” she said.
Students at the BugBlitz field day held at the Giffard Flora and Fauna Reserve participated in activities such as bird watching, a scavenger hunt and discovery walk where students had to find animals or bugs beginning with the different letters of the alphabet.
Special guest presenter Gnanayawahe Waitairie shared indigenous knowledge with the students, including how to throw a boomerang and play the didgeridoo.
“It has been great to get the students from different schools together to build relationships,” Mrs Sutherland said.
“All the students have been very keen, coming up and showing us what they have found.”
BugBlitz co-ordinator John Caldow said the four schools had approached BugBlitz to assist with the delivery of the schools’ biodiversity and environment component of their science curriculum.
“This area (Giffard Flora and Fauna Reserve) is rich in biodiversity, even when bugs go quiet in these colder, winter months,” he said.
“There has been a lot of variety; we have found 25 to 30 species so far and we still have two groups to go.
“It’s all about discovery learning — letting them find out what is out there.”
