The weather could not have been more perfect for the 46th Annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Presentation Ceremony, held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, on Oak Lawns under the shade of the beautiful oak trees.
Over 460 students and teachers, from 35 schools across the State, some as far Wendouree and Mt Beauty, gathered to celebrate their school garden achievements an
d to find out what Award they had won.
Three regional schools, Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School in Cowes, Warrnambool East Primary School and Heywood and District Secondary College were the state finalists, with Heywood and District Secondary College taking out the grand prize of the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award.
Heywood and District Secondary College garden boasts a hydroponic shade house; kitchen garden; aquaponics; compost bays and worm farms to support natural fertiliser for gardens beds; orchard and a chicken coop used by Food Technology classes; frog bogs; yarning circle; and a range of farm animals as part of their agriculture program. Students have been an integral part of the planning/design, building/development, and maintenance of these areas.
Over $44,000 worth of vouchers and garden products were distributed to the successful schools to continue their impressive garden programs, with categories including the Best Edible Garden, Most Engaging Garden for Wellbeing Learning and Best Improvement of a School’s Green Space, to name a few.
School gardens provide great hands-on learning opportunities while also contributing to the mental health and well-being of our students, staff and school communities. The Victorian School Gardens Program encourages schools to see the learning capabilities in developing their yards and envisions ‘every school a garden, every garden a classroom’. For more information on grants, free garden incursions, the Branch Out program, awards and teachers’ workshops, visit vsgp.org.au.
The Victorian Schools Garden Program would like to thank the Victorian State Government, Department of Education and other award sponsors for their continued support and help to grow young green thumbs and a sustainable future.
Click here for 2023 VSGP Award results.
