St Helen's Park Public School and Thirlmere Public School in Wollondilly and Helensburgh Public School and Holy Cross Catholic Primary School in Helensburgh will today receive a total of $3000 from local miners BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal, Peabody Energy and Xstrata Coal.
These EnviroSmart grants help teachers and their students develop these projects which, while on a much smaller scale, are based on the environmental management plans in place at all local mining operations.
NSW Minerals Council Deputy CEO Sue-Ern Tan said that the EnviroSmart program inspires school children to think about the environment and look after their local school grounds.
"EnviroSmart promotes sustainable environmental practices and challenges our students to think carefully about the impact they have on their local environment," Ms Tan said.
"The mining industry is stepping up to the challenge of reducing its environmental impacts. We're also encouraging these students to think about how they can do the same in their own schoolyards.
"Whether it's at mine sites, at home or in our schools, we can all manage and minimise our impacts on the environment for everyone's benefit."
Over 30 EnviroSmart grants have now been awarded in the Illawarra and Wollondilly over the past 3 years.
School environmental projects:
- - St Helen's Park Public School will build a garden and collaborate with local indigenous elders to teach students about bush taker and how to use local resources.
- - Thirlmere Public School will develop a kitchen garden including a veggie patch, fruit trees, chicken coop and tool shed.
- - Helensburgh Public School will revegetate surrounding bushland corridors and introduce bushland environmental sustainability lessons.
- - Holy Cross Catholic Primary School will install two fish ponds and create a "luxury lizard lounge", to be maintained by senior students
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