Who can do the Habitat Warriors program?
Our program is suitable for pre-school, primary and secondary schools in Victoria. Although schools are our main focus, we also offer our program to ‘Friends of’ groups, Scouts groups and other interested community groups.
How many students can take part in the program?
As many students as you wish. We limit numbers to 25 students during site visits, for safety reasons. We are happy to work with different classes and/or grades for each site visit.
Schools may also wish to have a whole “school planting day” with students, teachers and parents getting involved.
How long does the Habitat Warriors program run for?
The program is designed to run for a minimum of six months, although you can keep repeating the program until your site is fully revegetated. Most of the planting and weeding happen in the first few years, with less effort required as the plants grow bigger.
You may wish to develop a five-year site management plan for your site. We have a management plan template that you can use, or we can prepare a site management plan for you – please get in touch with us to discuss options.
Where can I plant?
Start by choosing your revegetation site. We recommend that you choose a site either within your pre-school or school or within walking distance of your location. We also suggest that you start off with a smaller revegetation area (eg. less than 0.5 hectares) – you can always expand the planting area as time goes on.
Sites can also potentially be located on nearby public land, such as a local park or reserve, or near a creek. If you don’t own the site, you will need to get landowner and/or land manager permission to plant on the site. Our team can help you with this – please get in touch.
When should I plant?
We recommend planting in Autumn or Spring. We will provide you with a program timeline so that you know which activities to do when.
How much does it cost?
We offer three levels of membership to our program – Sprout, Seed and Bloom. Please also see our Fundraising page for more details.
We can also tailor a project to your budget – please get in touch with us.
How can I fund my school’s project?
Please see our Fundraising page for more details.
Do I require a permit to collect native plant seeds and cuttings?
We have permits in place for collecting native seed. Please see here for the rules around collecting native seeds and cuttings if you plan to do it yourself.
What about weed management?
Either you, a weed contractor or your land manager will need spray any weeds at your site before planting, usually in early Summer. Some weeds need to be treated several times, so allow enough time for multiple treatments, with one weed treatment right before you plant.
Once your seedlings have had time to get established, we recommend that you spend some time hand-weeding around your plantings. This is a great activity for children and gives your seedlings the best chance of survival. We will provide you with information on how best to control the weeds that occur at your site.
What will students learn when they take part in the program?
Habitat Warriros gives students hands-on experience of the revegetation process, from seed collection to post-revegetation monitoring. Students will have the opportunity to value and admire our natural environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
How does this program relate to the Victorian Schools Curriculum?
Program activities link with the Victorian curriculum educational outcomes related to:
English
Mathematics
Ethical Capability
Science
Foundation – Level 6
Science as a Human Endeavour – people use science in their daily lives.
Biological Sciences – Living things have a variety of external features and live in different places where their basic needs, including food, water and shelter, are met.
Science Enquiry Skills
Questioning and predicting – Respond to and pose questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events.
Recording and processing – Use informal measurements in the collection and recording of observations.
