In response to the 'Pest vs the Rest' field day out at Reedy Swamp in May this year, students created poems inspired by the environment. Their creative responses are displayed on the wall in the Eastbank foyer and on the pavement out the front of the Eastbank Centre.

Students from Bourchier Street and Dhurringile Primary School attended the Natures Poetry Pathway Poetry Walk and Morning Tea on Friday 27th July. Together they walked the poetry pathway and each winning student read out their poem printed on the pavement. This was followed by a morning tea at the Eastbank Centre.

‘Pest vs the Rest’ is an annual field day at Reedy Swamp for grade 5/6 students from local primary schools. It’s an opportunity for the students to learn more about our river environment through completing different activities around the theme of ‘The impact of introduced species (pests)’.

“Pests verses the rest” Field Day is a collaborative project between RiverConnect and Bug Blitz.

Bug Blitz Trust was formed with guidance and support from the Hugh Williamson Foundation. Bug Blitz is an internationally generated initiative from scientific, educational and creative minds to stimulate an active interest in biodiversity. It is an imaginative, instructive and rewarding program that brings new learning and enjoyment of our environment to people of all ages, especially the enquiring younger minds.

Pest vs Rest 2012

RiverConnect and Bug Blitz again hosted the annual Pest vs the Rest day. Students came from:

Bourchier Street P.S, Gowrie Street P.S and Dhurringile P.S.                                   

They rotated between workshops run by different agency staff, learning about the natural environment:

Friend or foe; Bugs From Below; Birds of the bush; Arthropods on the land, Swamp Rap poetry.

Rap poet Omar Musa worked with the primary school students to develop poems inspired by wetlands and nature.

Back at school the students worked on their poems and used photos from the field day as a backdrop.

The wall at Eastbank is being used to display their poetry art work. You can enjoy viewing the six selected winnering pieces on the pavement out the front of the Eastbank Centre for the next few months.