By REBECCA BILLS
MACCLESFIELD Primary School students have been busy with interesting activities as part of Education Week.
Seven students form grades three, four, five and six took part in Helmeted Honeyeater’s Ambassador Training Day to lead students in becoming experts on the topic.
Teacher Susan Birch said the aim for the selected students was to be able to teach, guide and lead other students in supporting the survival of the world’s only wild population of the helmeted honeyeater.
“Our student ambassadors felt truly privileged to join another six students and their teacher from Yellingbo Primary School on a full day of learning led by environmental officer James Frazer and ornithologist Bruce Quinn.
Mrs Birch said the student also learned about the relationship between local and the genetically isolated Leadbeater’s possum’s and the helmeted honeyeater that both share the same habitat in Yellingbo.
“They also learnt how to make up the supplementary food that is fed to the birds at feeding stations along the reserve in the remnant habitat,” she said.
“We loaded up into four-wheel drives and drove out to these stations, walking silently along boardwalks to the viewing spot.
“Our group was fortunate to see five birds – that is 5 per cent of the world’s population we learnt.”
Principal John Chiswell said the school, alongside Yellingbo Primary School, has been involved in the helmeted honeyeater project for nearly 15 years.
“This is such an important project and the link between our school and the friends of the helmeted honeyeater is such a wonderful example of our students taking action.”
A science day was also held as part of Education Week.
Mr Chiswell said children came dressed as scientists and participated in three different science experiments ranging from chemical change in making slime to balloon powered rockets.
“In a time when science funding is cut back and science is seen as such an important subject in schools, our school event was timely in promoting scientists and science,” he said.
