Little Yarra River guardians: Hands-on conservation

Little Yarra Steiner School’s namesake river isn’t just a part of school grounds – it’s a cherished part of the community. Now, a Teaching Initiatives Program grant is enabling students to preserve Little Yarra River for future generations.

Students like Lily have played alongside Little Yarra River for years. Through the school’s expanded Land Care program, Lily and her classmates now monitor and maintain the river’s health.

‘I’ve been coming down to Little Yarra River since I was 3 years old. It’s part of the land that was here for thousands of years before us; it deserves to be cared for,’ said Lily.

In the school’s Land Care program, students put geography and conservation concepts into practice on the 66 acres of former farmland that make up the school’s grounds.

‘We're really lucky that we've got this big, beautiful property’ said College Chair Maxine Harrison, who leads the program with support from Environment and Sustainability coordinator Claudia Howells. ‘We’ve been planting trees and working on revegetating the land for many years.’

Receiving a Bank First Teaching Initiatives Program grant enabled Maxine to expand the program, with new water monitoring kits for students to use.