Students’ work benefits forest
From the Spring 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.
Neil Hampshire (Forests NSW) with
students.
Photo courtesy Melbourne MLC
State forests regularly play host to student excursions. For more than a decade, students have been experiencing the forests of the far south coast, as ecology assistant Neil Hampshire writes...
Here in Eden the workload is diverse, and sometimes it is hard to keep ahead. That’s why we are lucky to have the help of students from Melbourne Methodist Ladies College.
The school’s Marshmead campus is situated in the bush just over the Victorian border and has between 70 to 80 years 9 and 10 students who stay at the bush site for a term.
Classes are a little different – usually held outdoors and consisting of ‘regular’ lessons but also vegetable gardening, caring for livestock and chopping wood.
The school and Forests NSW have a great relationship that has lasted for over twelve years. The students are able to join me on excursions into the forest to assist with flora and fauna surveys and picnic area maintenance.
Between eight and 18 students assist me at any time. Sometimes we will do a scat search or a koala survey or plant walk – it depends on what needs to be done.
The students are always willing to help and we have some very interesting talks about forest management. I always try and take them to a harvesting operation to see productive forestry first-hand. The students are keen to see machinery working and ask good questions about what we do and why we do it.
I make sure we do the job but also we have heaps of fun along the way. It is a wonderful part of my work.
Ecology assistant, Eden
