Early learning settings benefit from 2022 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants

A number of early learning settings from across the country will benefit from additional funding to support their sustainability efforts thanks to the fourth round of Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants. 

 

This year, 1,054 projects have been funded, with native habitat, sustainable food production and recycling and waste management projects in the works thanks to the funding, expected to impact more than 100,000 children across the country.

 

The Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants were first launched in 2018 as part of Woolworths’ ongoing commitment to a greener future. More than 3,800 projects have been funded to date, with children getting hands-on learning about the natural environment, and the important role they can play in its future.

 

323 early learning centres, 92 kindergartens and 81 preschools joined their school based cohorts in thanking Woolworths’ for its support of the program. A sample of successful grant applications appears below. 

 

Jungle Gems Early Learning Centre – QLD – Worm Farm: 

 

Jungle Gems will use its grant to provide children with the opportunity to recycle scraps and understand food wastage through exploring a worm farm.

 

“We hope to reduce the amount of waste here at the centre. The children will be involved in taking care of the worms and providing the scraps to the worms. They will be the main ‘worm keepers’ and provide the scraps to the worms every 2-3 days,” a spokesperson said. 

 

Children will collect the food scraps from each room and place it in the worm farm. The aim is for the centre to have less food wastage at the end of the day while also providing its garden some nutrients to grow and thrive.

 

Dripstone Children’s Centre – NT – ‘Walking Lightly on the Land’: 

 

Dripstone will use the grant funding to create “a thriving native habitat” to support the existing native fauna and attract more bees, butterflies, birds, possums, reptiles and amphibians to support the service’s ecosystem. 

 

The children will be involved in researching and choosing relevant native plants to plant as well as building frog and bee hotels, possum and bird boxes. The aim is to build increased awareness of plants native to the top end and those which support native fauna and our ecosystem to thrive.

 

Devonshire Street Children’s Centre – NSW – “Kitchen multi-cultural and indigenous food produce project”: 

 

At Devonshire Street Children’s Centre the community is made up of many multicultural backgrounds and as such the service has always wanted to grow multicultural herbs and veggies to use in meal preparation. 

 

Through the project, the children will be encouraged to plant veggies; grow them by watering, caring and looking after them, so they can learn about the plant life cycle, and understand the process of production. 

 

The expected outcomes are that they will learn new skills, have fun, play and develop self-confidence by spending time in the garden tending plants and growing their own food. The garden will also provide a context for celebrations and promote risk taking, such as trying new foods.

 

Ready Set Grow Dongara – WA – “Bush Tucker and Welcome Garden”: 

 

The project will grow a bush tucker mobile garden that the children can cultivate and care for, and to also enhance their front garden into a Welcome Garden with native plants and decoration. 

 

The bush tucker garden will grow native herbs that can be used in meals at the centre, and the garden a welcoming space that will attract birds and bugs. The children will gain knowledge and skills through getting their hands dirty and completing most of the work themselves.

 

Geeveston Early Learning and Care – TAS – “Small Footprints – Let’s reduce!”: 

 

The aim of the Small Footprints – Let’s reduce! project is to increase and build upon children’s skills and knowledge in recycling of food waste and in growing, harvesting and preparing foods they have grown themselves. The children will be involved in the project from the first stages of planning and design of the area to the purchasing, preparation, construction of and planting of the area.

 

Stepping Stone West Beach Childcare & Early Development Centre – SA – “Living off the Land”: 

 

Stepping Stone West Beach will use the grant funding to teach the children about Indigenous culture and provide a starting point for creating more sustainable and biodiverse gardens, to create a nature area with local native plants to help attract local wildlife in the kindy outdoor environment and to create a veggie garden for cooking.

 

More information about the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants is available here.