Le Fevre Peninsula Primary School
It was the parents of Le Fevre Peninsula Primary School students who first proposed an edible, sustainable garden on the school site. In line with current trends for healthy eating and environmental awareness, the school has created a garden in which students will be responsible for planting and upkeep, and which can be used as an outdoor classroom. It has been named ‘Yangadlitya’, a Kaurna word meaning “For the Future”, reflecting the belief that children are our future, and recognising the need to grow the understanding of sustainability through them and the community.
A design theme of ‘Water’ was chosen to incorporate the environmental history of the site as former wetlands, the Kaurna cultural history of the Black Swan Dreaming, the maritime history of the Port Adelaide area, and the current drought problems in Australia. The garden consists of six boat-shaped raised beds which can be used to plant vegetables, herbs, berries and flowers, and these are surrounded by a wide border of native plants representing indigenous and culturally important species. A water feature near the indigenous species plantings will acknowledge the local Kaurna heritage of the area.
Involvement of, and education of the wider community is a strong component of this project. A range of funding grants will assist with workshops engaging children and other community members on a range of subjects from art, cultural heritage and history to garden design, organic methods, water-wise gardening and healthy eating and cooking.
Students will also be involved in public consultation processes involving local Kaurna elders and community artists.
Principal Mark McKenzie hopes that having the site located at a busy intersection will give good public exposure of the garden and it’s messages. “When parents and children learn about the environmental advantages of these plants it might mean they have a go at growing them at home as well”, he said.
