Nature EXPO – Bushland Big Day Out

The Educational Sub-Committee has been investigating different approaches to foster children’s interest in the bush. Following on from Andrew’s excellent discourse (see ‘Connecting Kids’), we would like to invite you to bring your children and grandchildren to our inaugural Nature EXPO, at which we are offering activities designed to engage your children and prompt their curiosity and creativity through interaction and play with our amazing native bushland.

It will be held on Sunday July 9, 2017, at the Henderson Environmental Centre, in North Beach. Registration starts 10.30am; we conclude at 3.30pm. We encourage everyone to bring a picnic lunch, as there is no kiosk on-site. We plan to run seven nature experiences concurrently, over three, one-hour sessions. The children can choose which three they’d like to attend. Participation in each workshop is limited, ages from 7-16 (– ish).

The Henderson Environmental Centre sits on the southern edge of Star Swamp Bushland Reserve, a perfect launching pad for exploration and discovery, and it has numerous undercover areas in case we need shelter.

As this will be the first time we run this event, we’re having a feedback session at the end. In order to get kids into and excited about their bushland, we plan to hold several similar events throughout Spring. We’ll be targeting kids from local communities, schools and youth groups, and to help us focus our efforts and resources efficiently, we really need your valuable, honest thoughts on what worked, what didn’t – and how we can improve!

The planned workshops and presenters are as follows:

PERTH’S PERFECT PLANTS FOR KLEVER KIDS with Andrew Price

• The plants in our region have some amazing ecological and cultural properties. We live in a truly biodiverse region with an amazing indigenous history that is just waiting to be discovered. Kids will use an innovative and fun tool to explore our plants first hand in their environment as they explore the native bushland and discover hidden worlds beneath their feet!

NATURE/ART PARALLELS with Jennifer Dudley

• Help set up “Whopper Blocks” sun, water, stone environments inside, then go bush to find a similar specific environment, noting what you see growing and living there.  Use your notes, photos and sketches to begin further research or create an art work you can complete at home.

NATURE CLOSE UP with Cathy Levett

• Discover hidden wonders in nature using iScopes that turn iPads into microscopes. Take a close look at soil, leaves, feathers and other aspects of nature.

WILD WRITING with Amanda Spooner

• Using poetry to view and relate to nature through a different lens. Introduction to some forms of poetry e.g. haiku, acrostic poetry, and writing sessions.

FASCINATING FUNGI with Grant Thornett

• On this walk you’ll don your mycologist hats and search for the astonishing varieties of fungi and slime moulds that are found in the bush.

BUILDING BUG ABODES with Faye Arcaro

• A presentation about wildflowers and their relationship with pollinators and predators, then outside to make bee and bug hotels.

FANTASTIC FRUITS with Bronwen Keighery

• Making creatures from WA woody plant fruits (gum nuts, banksia cones) and other plants bits.

LOVELY LEAVES AND FANTASTIC FLOWERS with Mady Colquhoun

• Explore the astounding variety of leaf and flowers structure which exists in our native plants. Do all our flowers have petals? Why are some of our leaves hairy?  Look close up and prepare to be amazed. Create a leaf rubbing to take home with you.

We’ll be visiting all the branches in the next couple of months to promote this event and to gauge numbers. If you are interested in attending with your kids, please email our secretary, Jennifer Dudley, at jendu@iinet.net.au. PLEASE NOTE:  NUMBERS ARE LIMITED TO 80 – ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED.

-Amanda Spooner, Educational Sub-committee