2021
Santa Teresa, Ormiston
Baulkham Hills
Well done to the Ambrose Treacy environmental club...wonderful effort.Flashback to 2015, the Environmental Club set a goal: rejuvenate the rainforest area located on College property, bordering Witton Creek and the Brisbane River. Years of dedicated work by ATC student Alex Davies and a tram of helpers, has meant that goal has been met and smashed! As Alex prepared for his Graduation Day last week, he presented a gift to the College. His passion for our Gully precinct led to him collecting and preserving the butterfly specimens that are now found there. Some species are only there due to the team’s dedicated work in planting the vegetation required to form the niche cosmos these species thrive in.
Alex is an eco-warrior, passionate about the environment, fauna and flora and the effects of climate change on our world. He has, since Junior School, been working very hard to educate his fellow students (and staff) with his vast knowledge of animals, plants and insects. With members of the Environmental Club he has dedicated thousands of hours to revegetating our Gully Precinct and restoring it to its natural state. He has planted hundreds of trees, creating a beautiful green space and nurturing the environment for native species. He has reintroduced species that haven’t been seen in the Witton Creek Catchment for decades. Over the past 5 years, Alex has impressed members of local environment groups and Brisbane City Council with his passion and drive. He secured for the College’s Environmental Club a $6000 grant from the Brisbane City Council to facilitate weed control to in the Gully, removing weeds such as Cats Claw Creeper, Climbing Asparagus Fern, Chinese Elm, Camphor Laurel, Ochna, Coral Berry, Balloon and Arrowhead Vines.
In a combined effort, students have planted over 500 new trees and continue to monitor the health of the delicate ecosystem that we are so fortunate to have on campus. We’ve been able to successfully introduce over 100 species of native trees to the area. Ultimately, it is hoped that the space is sustainable, allowing students to independently care for and manage our urban forest.
For the project to continue, we require more students to join in the battle for a sustainable environment. We encourage boys from the Middle and Senior schools to join the Club in 2021. Over a few short years since the club’s inception, students have donated thousands of hours of Service to the project, and their work should be applauded and recognised as the award winning, environmental project.
It is obvious that the commitment and passion of our ‘greenies’ has made this space a wonderful retreat for local fauna and a green space that enhances our stunning College grounds. We offer our sincere thanks to Alex for his unbridled passion for our special green space at ATC.
Our initiative Best Foot Forward got some publicity in the Catholic Leader! The newspaper highlighted some of the great work being done at our Flexible Learning Centres in Australian by telling the story of Talisha, a fearless student we’ve featured on our channels before.
Read the full story at: catholicleader.com.au/flipbook/tcl_08112020/thecatholicleaderflipbookissue5627november8_2020-11-0...
Thank you to everyone who got behind our Best Foot Forward campaign!!! You have just empowered 413 women and girls lives around the world through education.
Whether you popped on a pair of pink laces, made a donation or helped spread the message, you have truly made a difference.
We are excited to share with you in time, the life-changing stories that will take place globally - we know that you will love them.
www.bestfootforward.org.au
#bestfootforward #educatetoliberate