Kids And Community Helping The Environment

A group of community organisations have come together to help raise awareness of the area’s native birds, all thanks to the initiative of local children.

Keep Sandgate Beautiful Association (KSBA) president, Jenny Carey, received an email from the Sandgate State School outside school hours care (OSHC) after a traumatic event.

“The children at the OSHC had unfortunately seen a bird hit by a car, and they were actually outraged about it,” she said.

 “The kids decided to raise some money to help birds, and the OSHC director emailed me, asking if KSBA would like the money.”

Ms Carey went and spoke to the children about birds.

“I did a talk with them, and then I ended up with $50 in coins they had raised to help wildlife, but birds in particular,” she said.

The KSBA discussed the best way to spend the money to support birds at Dowse Lagoon and decided to purchase and plant native shrubs that would provide food for a variety of birds.

“Dowse Lagoon Bushcare Group leader, Frank Box, bought four Banksia oblongifolia shrubs which are native to this area, are very hardy and will grow well under eucalypt trees, all important attributes for this site,” Ms Carey said.

“The Men’s Shed also helped out, they made a brilliant little sign in the shape of a duck and they made a plaque saying that these trees had been donated by the Sandgate OSHC.”

The chosen plants will attract nectar-loving honeyeaters and will also attract insects, providing food for insect-eating birds such as fantails.

Ms Carey said she was delighted the Sandgate OSHC children had been so keen to help, and also by the input of the community groups.

“The kids can see that if you do care about something, you can start something and see it through to a result; and it only has to be a little thing,” she said.

“All the groups pitching in to support the kids’ ideas was wonderful; it’s good to reach out and connect with other groups, we’re all working towards the same things.

“We’ve got these lovely areas in the 4017, and there are people who are very active and interested in conserving them and promoting them.”

The plaque was placed in the Dowse Lagoon area in early October next to the native plants.