Shepparton ECEC centre joins One Tree Per Child initiative

Children from the Shepparton based Nancy Vibert Childcare Centre recently participated in the One Tree Per Child initiative, which partners with local councils to give children the opportunity to plant a native tree which they can then watch grow. 

 

The global One Tree Per Child initiative was founded by Olivia Newton-John and Jon Dee. In Shepparton, Council has committed to arranging for the equivalent of one native plant to be planted for each child in the region, every year for five years (2017 – 2021). 

 

In order to reach, and exceed, planting targets, the initiative establishes partnerships with as many early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, Landcare and community groups as possible. 

 

Nancy Vibert’s educational leader, Tina Gardiner, told local news source Shepparton News that the program has taught children about giving back to the community, and lessons on respecting the environment. 

 

“This is their first experience of volunteering, and it’s great because it’s in a space we regularly come for our Bush Kinder lessons,” Ms Gardiner told the News.

 

Ms Gardiner spoke about how programs such as bush kinder and One Tree Per Child give children tangible connections with local community, and help them to feel meaningfully engaged. 

 

“We made an acknowledgement to country this morning and we broke it down to understand what the words mean. We talked about what respecting the land means and talked about the traditional owners of the land,” she said.

 

Members from Shepparton RiverConnect and Friends of the Botanic Gardens helped the children with the planting of their trees.

 

To read the full coverage of this story, as produced by Shepparton News, please see here.