Our Eco Sisters, loved connecting learning to life this week when they had the opportunity to learn first-hand from Vaughn Chapple, Senior Marine Ranger for the Parks & Wildlife Service, who spoke the girls about how we can care for our marine environment.

Alfred Cove Reserve, only a stone’s throw from the College, is one of three important Marine Parks that have a high conservation status, as they provide feeding grounds for water birds and in particular migratory birds.

Vaughn spoke to our Eco Sisters this week about the importance of caring for the river and foreshore environment so close to the College. He presented the reasons for conserving these areas, the threats to these areas and the sorts of things members of our community can do to help conserve them.

Year 10 student Jade Destremau said “I learnt about the different man-made issues facing our river, such as pollution and plastic waste, and what the community needs to do in order to mitigate harm to the river and its organisms. These included working hard to prevent pollution entering the river such as plastics, fishing line etc, as the aquatic organisms such as dolphins and birds are regularly harmed when they get tangled in these items.”

Daria Harris said “I learnt about the importance of proper drainage. If we use fertilisers and it rains, then the fertiliser runs into the river which makes algae grow. This algae, when it blooms, takes the oxygen out of the water which causes fish and other aquatic organisms to die.”