They have done it again! Alkira Secondary College’s Intermediate VCAL students (Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning) are continuing to impress stakeholders of the Indigenous Planting community partnership.
The students’ commitment, enthusiasm and application of a range of works skills contributed to the successful making of 16 nesting boxes to replace lost habitat for local fauna. Earlier this year, as part of a workshop with the Cardinia Catchment
Land Care Group (CCLC), students researched patterns for a range of local wildlife.
Each group chose which animal they wanted to support and on Friday 14 September, they assembled nesting boxes that were pre-cut by CCLC members.
They completed five large boxes for Brush Tail Possums, four medium boxes for Ring Tailed Possums, six small boxes for Sugar Glider and a box for native bird species such as the Eastern Rosella.
With the expertise of Wood Technology teacher (Mr Shaw), as well as CCLC’s President Glenn Brooks-MacMillan, students were guided through safe work procedures, assembly methods and correct ways to use tools. Some of the students finished early so they had time to be creative and paint their boxes – knowing that the wildlife will appreciate any colour for their new shelters!
Glenn has taken the assembled boxes so he can add the bases and will distribute them for installation within the Cardinia Casey Catchment area – fingers crossed that they can install some near the body of water at the end of Nurture Avenue.
The school has locked in a planting day at Clyde Primary School for October 26 and hope to secure permission to install some of the possum boxes on Alkira’s grounds.
