During National Science Week, our school will transform a section of the playground into a living laboratory and wildlife haven: the Black Cockatoo Garden. Students from every year level will take part in a hands-on, inquiry-based project to design, prepare and plant a native garden specifically chosen to support local wildlife, including the iconic black cockatoo.

Classes will investigate local ecosystems, explore how plants provide food and shelter for animals, and use scientific thinking to select native species that produce seeds, flowers and habitat. Students will map the garden, test soil, observe existing biodiversity and collaborate to design planting zones that mimic natural bushland.

The garden will be brought to life through a series of “science-in-action” sessions where students dig, mulch, and plant local native plants. As well as to install wildlife features such as bird perches, water stations and insect habitats. Learners will act as citizen scientists, recording observations and predicting which animals might visit.