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Peninsula SDS has been part of the Sustainable schools program
since late 2004. The school became a 5 Star Sustainable School
in just over 12 months. This has led to many changes in the
physical grounds and the behaviours attitudes of the staff
and students. Peninsula SDS is marching on. The school is
about to embark in a world first, being part of the Dromana
Clusters Gold Star Schools program and trading carbon credits.
The school is currently running Carbon Neutral. That is the
amount of carbon the school produces from the use of electricity
is being offset by the number of trees we plant each year.
With Power Rangers in every classroom, last year we reduced
out energy consumption by 4.5%. Last year we needed to play
350 trees to offset our carbon emissions, this year we only
need to plant 280. Our aim is still to plant 350 trees, which
means we will start to form a carbon sink which we can trade.
Keep up the great work students and staff.
• The development/revegetation of the creek line outside
the school grounds in conjunction with Dromana Secondary Colleges
Wildlife corridor to become a breeding ground for local frog
spices, including the Brown Tree Frog and the Spotted Marsh
Frog.
• Tanks for storm water collection for watering the
Primary industries yard has been installed
• ‘Water Rats’ in each classroom monitor
taps etc to ensure no wastage.
• Middle Years Students collect water from bubbler taps
in buckets & emptied on to garden areas rather than entering
sewerage. This is currently to only water source used on the
gardens. There are no watering facilities in the school for
gardens or lawns.
• Accredited Water- Learn It Live It School.
• Participated in the 2007 Melbourne Water’s Frog
Census
• ‘Power Rangers’ in each class room ensure
lights and heaters are switched off when not required; computers
are automatically switched off at the end of day.
• ‘Waste Warriors” collect food scraps for
the worm farms & chooks; lunches & morning teas are
eaten inside to reduce litter, ‘Nude Food Wednesday’
for lunches across the school. Classroom rubbish bins have
been reduced from 60Lt bins to 5Lt bins.
• Secondary students run the recycling programs, where
SKM recycling bins are used to collect all recyclable materials
from the classrooms, including: paper, cardboard, glass, plastics
and cartons. Printer cartridges are also recycled.
• Environmental School Captains working in conjunction
with classroom monitors help implement whole school environmental
initiatives.
• ‘Biodiversity Bravehearts’ monitor and
record wildlife seen in and around the school grounds.
From all of the initiatives that Peninsula SDS has implemented,
they have been able to achieve the following in each of the
four Sustainable Schools Initiative modules.
• Biodiversity: 100% increase in bird species visiting
the school grounds.
• Biodiversity: 20% increase in native plant species
planted in the school grounds.
• Energy: 4.5% reduction in usage.
• Water: 50% reduction in usage to date compared to
same time last year.
• Waste: 50% reduction of waste to landfill.
More
info.
For more information about the school contact Nicola
Clode on 59872649, email mather.nicola.o@edumail.vic.gov.au.
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