As part of our EdVenture unit, the Year 4/5 students from the St Peters Campus enjoyed a fantastic day exploring and learning at Cleland Wildlife Park.

Our visit began with an engaging education session all about ecosystems and the delicate balance that exists within them. Students learned how plants, animals and the environment all depend on one another to survive and thrive. We explored factors that can disrupt this balance, including habitat loss, introduced species, pollution and human impact. The session also highlighted the importance of sustainability and the role we can all play in caring for our environment through responsible choices and conservation efforts.

After the education session, and meeting some of the 'Cleland Classroom' animals up close, we then had a chance to meet and see a lot of iconic Australian animals. We were incredibly lucky, with so many animals out and about throughout the day. Students loved seeing the animals up close and were thrilled to have the opportunity to hand-feed the friendly potoroos, kangaroos and wallabies.

The excursion was a wonderful opportunity to connect our classroom learning with real-world experiences. Seeing the animals in their habitats helped students develop a deeper understanding of the ecosystems we have been studying and reinforced the importance of protecting them for future generations.

It was a fantastic day of curiosity, discussion and discovery, and students returned to school with a greater appreciation of Australia's unique wildlife and the important role ecosystems play in supporting life. We thank the Cleland staff and our parent volunteers for helping make the day such a worthwhile experience.

Lisa Smith
Year 4/5 Teacher – St Peters Campus