Eighty-nine students from St Luke’s and Guthrie Street Primary Schools participated in several activities at PEST vs the REST day at Reedy Swamp on Tuesday 28 May. The aim was to increase their understanding on the threats to our natural Australian Environment. Mayor Jenny Houlihan welcomed the students, encouraging them to love and appreciate the natural environment and waterways we have here in Greater Shepparton.

 The activites they participated in were:

•   ‘Rapid Biodiversity Assessment -What do bugs do?’ - John Caldow, Bug Blitz

Searching for Bugs on the grounds, in trees and under logs, to study and photograph.

•  ‘Arthropods on land’ -   John Laing, Goulburn Murray LandCare Network.

Students looked at small creature habitats and how introduced species impact on native arthropods.

•  ‘Swamp Poetry’ - Robyn Black and David Kelly, Goulburn Valley Writers Group Inc

Students created a poem, inspired by the environment

•   ‘Good plant...bad plant’ - Jaye Caldwell, Department of Primary Industries  Echuca  

Students collected samples of plants. The plants were identified, classified as native or weed species, and kept for pressing. 

•  ‘A little bit thick— the Bush Stone Curlew’ -  Lanie Pearce, Lower Goulburn CMN        

Students learnt about the Bush Stone Curlew, otherwise known as Australian Bush Thick-Knee and the impact foxes have on these native birds.

 Pest vs the Rest is as much about the post event activities as the field Day.Following the field day the students have the opportunity to continue with follow up activities such as:

•  Plants: After the plants have dried, students can mount and label their specimens.  Good samples could be framed
• Invertebrates: Students can us the photos of the bugs then use internet resources to ID and research their bugs. Results can be uploaded to their own database on the Bug Blitz web site and the photos used as a backdrop for their poetry page.
• Poetry:  Students will complete their poems back at school and overlay them on a collage of photos from the day.

 Thanks go to the presenters, the teachers and of course the students from St Luke’s and Guthrie Street Primary School for a fun day!

Pest vs the Rest Day is a partnership between RiverConnect and BugBlitz Trust, Sale.