The Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre has been developed adjacent the small rural school at Burrumbuttock. A visionary team of school and community volunteers have transformed a four-hectare ‘eyesore’ into a unique, highly acclaimed and heavily used learning environment. This coordinated and innovative project is helping to address the global environmental challenges of the 21st century.
It started off and has continued to be a local grass roots initiative, spurred on by the community and taken up by the School Principal, Owen Dunlop. Funding from Landcare has seen the project grow and the enviro centre has become an integral part of the educational environment for Burrumbuttock Public. It includes an outdoor classroom and the Discovery and Learning Centre, a mud brick structure with windows the sun side only to maximise energy conservation. There are a ton of guided walks in the grounds and other schools regularly visit on excursions.
The school recently put together a curriculum resource called Living River, which is about the Murray Darling Basin but can be adapted to other river systems in the country. All this stuff has been achieved through teacher dedication and lots of grants. They just installed rainwater tanks in anticipation of the $50000 the govt. has promised schools for such a purpose.
Its really nice to see kids getting a natural education and being taught from a young age to appreciate their environment and the flora and fauna it supports.
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