GRAY Street Primary School hopes to have their yard filled with native birds after the Grade 3 and 4 students installed a new bird garden.

Funded by a $1000 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant, the new bird garden is located in a quiet area of the school yard where students can go to admire the beauty of birds in our region.

Gray Street Primary School Grade 3/4 teacher, Janelle Harms, said the students played an active role in completing the project and designing the garden as part of their environmental program.

“With this funding, students were able to plant a variety of native trees, shrubs and grasses around the school to attract birds,” she said.

“They also installed a bird bath and made four nesting boxes.

“The nesting boxes were designed specifically for Grey Shrike Thrush, Pardalotes, Rosellas and small parrots - all birds found within the local area.”

The idea for the bird garden came about as a result of the Grade 3/4 students participating in the Birds in Schools education program, which they have been involved in for the past few months.

Developed by Birdlife Australia, the Birds in Schools program engages students in the scientific process through investigating and monitoring the birds and habitat of their school grounds, encouraging them to develop and implement an action plan to help their local bird life.

“This has involved students learning about Australian birds and the importance of biodiversity in habitats,” Ms Harms said. 

“Students had to be real citizen scientists, identifying birds in the playground and entering results into Birdlife’s Bird Data database.

“After completing the bird survey, students realised that the playground environment could really use a boost if it was to attract and sustain new birds, so they designed and planted a garden that encompassed everything they had learnt about local birds and their habitats.”