KU Heathcote celebrates 125 years by building sustainable veggie patch

The staff, children and families of KU Heathcote Preschool have celebrated the 125th anniversary of KU Children’s Services by building a vegetable garden to support the nature play and sustainability ethos of the service. 

“To celebrate 125 years of education at KU, we have been aiming to grow 125 plants in our vegetable garden,” KU Heathcote Director Nadine Cronan explained. 

The produce will be used to feed the preschool animals, and support healthy eating in children, while the scraps will be used in composting and in the preschool’s worm farm. 

“The children who have been learning from home recently have also been able to participate by growing their own seedlings at home that will be ready to plant once they return to preschool,” Ms Cronan told local publication St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.

KU Heathcote specialises in nature play, and this latest project will enhance nature play learning as well as supporting an ongoing push for sustainability focuses. 

“We discuss the importance of healthy eating and trying new and varied foods with the children and growing our own food supports these healthy eating initiatives at the preschool and children’s understanding of where our food comes from,” Ms Cronan told the paper.

To access the original coverage of this story, please see here. For more information about KU Children’s Services, see here.