Kids play central role in dune care
TAKING care of their village's dune system plays an important part in the minds of Fingal Head schoolchildren.
Fingal Head Public School kids, with the help of Fingal Head Coastcare, want to ensure their local dunes stay healthy by planting new vegetation on Thursday to coincide with Planet Ark Tree Day.
Fingal Head Coastcare president Kay Bolton said the children had felt a sense of ownership from their participation in the program over the years.
"They think it's their bush and they look after it,” Ms Bolton said.
"We've even had situations where we've planted the dune and, when they see some people sand-boarding down it, the kids just go up to them and say they shouldn't do that because it destroys the vegetation.”
Ms Bolton said the students learned about the importance of maintaining the dunes and were a part of the planting process from start to finish.
"The kids are involved in the whole process including planting the seeds and the potting, then they plant them in the nursery before we put them out,” she said.
The environmental program has been running in connection with Fingal Head School since 1998, and Ms Bolton said it had empowered the community to take care of the area.
