Hahndorf Primary School
The conservation work of the late Sir Hans Heysen at his nearby Hahndorf property “The Cedars” has been an inspiration to the Hahndorf Primary School in creating their own natural habitat area on the school grounds. Students will visit his home as part of a walk from Hahndorf to Beaumont in an effort to obtain a large-scale appreciation of the local landscape.
This new Grow a Great School project commenced in 2008, with the school establishing an outdoor learning ‘room’ and discovery trail to link with the adjacent Hahndorf Creek. It will have host plants for butterflies and have indigenous plants best suited for insect habitat to encourage birds to the site.
There is a strong focus on an understanding of the land’s natural past, particularly related to the Kaurna and Peramangk Aboriginal communities whose land the school site is located on. Children will learn the Kaurna and Peramangk names of plants, and participate in indigenous activities such as tasting native foods, listening to dreaming stories and having an opportunity to connect with the spirituality of the land.
The project is part of a long term effort to enhance the school grounds in a sustainable way and as the site is accessible and open to the community, there are good opportunities for wider education.
The school will be documenting the journey of the project and plan to exhibit photos at the Mount Barker Show. Project coordinator Rosemary Austin said they intend to “Encourage community appreciation by example, in maintaining indigenous plants supporting natural diversity”.
