Grammar Gazette - Issue 1, 2024

FROM THE STUDENTS Service

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During our visit to Galeru, one of the Indigenous bush tucker farms in the SevGen enterprise, we had a unique opportunity to participate in maintaining this beautiful property—ensuring that it continues to flourish for years to come. We learned to weed around the delicate roots of native plants, harvest ripe plums from orchards, and identify the many invasive plant species and how to effectively clear them. This experience ended with a sense of accomplishment and a new perspective on the role of traditional farming in conservation, putting our attention to sustainable food cultivation whether it be in urban farms or in the commercial foods we consume daily. At School, GECO continues the projects we started during Grammar Goes Green to care for the environment and tackle sustainability. For example, we investigated the material used in the disposable gloves during Science lessons and we are meeting with the science laboratory technicians to discuss potential alternatives. We continue to care for our bees by counting them and observing their behaviour, and inputting this data to The University of Queensland’s Native Bee Citizen Project. Currently, the hive is funded by the club cashing in eligible plastic bottles or other drink cans and cartons through the Containers for Change program. Additionally, the lids of these containers collected by GECO also help the members of another organisation—Precious Plastics—which takes the plastic lids off bottles and makes them into new products, such as pens. Ultimately, GECO’s environmental works are not only present during Grammar Goes Green sessions, but also all around the School community.

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Grammar Goes Green C A RING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT A T M A RR A P A TT A A ND BEYOND Yihao Zeng (9R), Grace Zhao (9L) and Taya Wojtowicz (10W) Grammar Goes Green offers the opportunity for students from all Year levels to head to our beautiful Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education campus and help the environment around us. Many students from the School’s environmental club, Grammar Environmental and Conservation Organisation (GECO), recently attended a two-day event, along with the GECO leaders, Mrs Cross and Ms Solomkina, the Director of Service, Ms Mungomery, and the Director of Outdoor Education, Ms Wood. Our main aim was to increase biodiversity, beautify and sustain the environment, and connect with our peers, and the animals and plants that we share this land with. The students who attended are especially passionate about maintaining ecosystems, and small steps like the Grammar Goes Green service can do a lot for the world around us. Over the weekend, we provided food, water, and shelter for the wildlife in the Imbil area, planted many trees at Bella Junction and removed unwanted invasive species in the dams. We also learned about connecting, navigating, and journeying through the local environment. Another highlight was the gifting and installation of a native beehive, similar to the one already managed diligently by GECO club members at the Spring Hill campus. This was more than a symbolic gesture, as each new hive introduced into the wild allows the surrounding environment to thrive and grow the already existing native bee population. Grammar Goes Green was truly an opportunity to transform the classroom discussions into collective hands-on actions that contribute directly to maintaining biodiversity.

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CAPTIONS 1 ANYA NOLAN (8R) AND GABI CANNIFFE (8R) 2 STEPHANIE MCLAUGHLIN (7G) 3 YIHAO ZENG (9R), GRACE ZHAO (9L) AND TAYA WOJTOWICZ (10W)

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GAZETTE • ISSUE 1, 2024 ISSUE 1, 2024

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL