Sustainability at Silverton
At Silverton we are committed to becoming a more sustainable school.
For several years we have been part of the Resource Smart Program which has enabled us to keep track of our water and energy use, our waste production and management and has helped us to increase our biodiversity.
We have systems in place that have helped us reduce both energy and water consumption. We have implemented recycling systems to reduce our waste. We compost food scraps, recycle paper and cardboard, cans, plastic drink bottles and juice boxes.
We have installed water tanks and have decommissioned many gas heaters and are currently upgrading our heating and cooling systems to more economical models. We are also in the process of renewing two of our learning centre roofs which will include better insulation.
We don’t use harmful pesticides for weed control and have a green waste system and a green purchasing policy.
We have planted hundreds of indigenous plants and have transformed our school grounds to include indigenous and native gardens, a pond, vegetable and fruit garden, butterfly garden, lizard lounges and a revegetated 60 m x 5 m bank.
We work with the Bushland Team from City of Greater Dandenong each year for Tree Planting Day and have adopted the park next to our school and have planted over 2000 native plants over two years.
Our students take part in Citizen Science programs such as the Dolphin Research Institutes’ Marine Ambassador Program and the Melbourne Water River Detective Program where they get hands on opportunities to test for water quality using samples from several waterways.
Sustainability is also embedded in all curriculum areas.
For example, in science, students learn how to grow plants each year for our vegetable garden. We then use the produce for our weekly cooking sessions as part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
Students also carry out, waste and biodiversity audits each year. Students learn about the impact of littering on our waterways and learn how to test for water quality using the school pond as a water testing site.
We have many animals at Silverton - many insects, including three native bees, 22 bird varieties, a wide range of aquatic macroinvertebrates in our pond and southern brown tree frogs.
Students are encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle. These principles are widely demonstrated throughout the school across all curriculum areas and through the schools’ resources management practices.
Community Engagement and Support.
We are currently working with Ceres as part of the Schools for Wildlife Program to revegetate a garden area with students designing the area and choosing suitable plants.
We are being supported by City of Greater Dandenong’s Garden’s for Wildlife Program to increase biodiversity. Volunteers have completed a site visit and are in the process of preparing a report for us.
We recently planted 100 indigenous plants for the One Tree One Child Program through City of Greater Dandenong in addition to the 300 indigenous plants that student’s planted with a grant from the Seedling Bank and Planet Ark.
We also have ongoing support from City of Greater Dandenong Waste Education Services to help us implement waste and recycling management strategies.
Springvale Cemetery Mini Forest Planting Project.
Students were invited to take part in a local community project hosted by the staff at Springvale Botanical Cemetery.
This project will build a Micro Forest on land at Springvale Botanical Cemetery. The land was identified as an ideal place for a Micro Forest due to the shape and size of the land. This space has been designed to create a habitat for local wildlife, including the blue tongue lizard which plays an integral part of the design. Once this space has been completed, it will provide the local community a space to connect with one another while also connecting with nature. Students from local schools have been invited to participate in the program by helping to plant indigenous plants.
Last term 70 students from Grade 3/4 walked to the cemetery and helped to plant 420 indigenous plants and distributed 3000 seeds.
Students are encouraged to take their family to the site to see their hard work and to enjoy this beautiful community outdoor space.
Our students will have on going opportunities in the future to use this space and the cemetery grounds for birdwatching and ponding.
We are excited to be part of this local program.
Animal Species found at Silverton
New Native Bee Species Found
We have spotted a new native bee species at school hovering around our basil flowers.
We now have the Chequered Cuckoo Bee in our vegetable garden in addition to our Blue Banded Bee.
What’s growing at Silverton?
We are currently growing lettuce, silverbeet, parsley, coriander, carrots, sugarsnap peas, strawberries, cabbages, cauliflowers, celery, purple broccoli, artichokes, leeks, sorrel, thyme, sage, tansy ,dill, chives, angelica.
Other Projects
Increasing Biodiversity and Garden Update
Pond Renovation and Update
