Teachers and students at Cudgegong Valley Public School are one step closer to getting their hands dirty, with phase one of the school’s garden refurbishment now underway.
Moolarben Coal is a strong supporter of the garden upgrade, partnering with the school to fund the project and lending a hand to prepare the garden recently.
The first stage involved clearing the existing garden, removing ageing garden beds and overgrown vegetation, and levelling the site ahead of the installation of new water-efficient wicking beds.
Amy Lee, President of the Cudgegong Valley Public School Parents and Citizens’ Association was delighted with the progress of the garden project.
“The current garden beds are deteriorated, and we recognised the need to replace them with new water efficient wicking beds.
“It was a big job, that involved manual labour and the loan of a tipper truck and skid steer to efficiently remove the old timber beds and soil, cleaning up the garden site.
“The Moolarben team got to work quickly and made a big difference, readying the space for the next phase of the garden project.
“We are now looking at whether we can upcycle the old timber for the second stage of the refurbishment.
“The new wicking beds will enable students and the community to continue developing their gardening skills and sustainability knowledge, whilst encouraging a love of gardening.
“We are thankful to Moolarben Coal investing in our school community and helping bring this project to life,” said Amy.
Cudgegong Valley Public School has a strong focus on environmental education and has been recognised with an Eco-Schools Green Flag, the program’s highest accreditation for embedding sustainability across learning, operations and community engagement. Community members are also invited to volunteer in the garden during Garden Club after school and on weekends.
Moolarben Coal General Manager, Tim Slater was pleased to support the school.
“Our team were happy to get their hands dirty, clearing and preparing the garden as part of phase one of the project.
“Research shows that creating and maintaining gardens helps students to develop knowledge and skills for sustainable living, so we are pleased to help fund and lend a hand to this initiative.
“We look forward to watching the garden project progress and seeing the wicking beds installed soon.”
