Oxley Creek Catchment Association offers education activities that can be adapted to suit both primary and secondary school needs. We focus on providing students with hands-on education experiences interwoven with local knowledge about our catchment. We are available for both incursions and excursions, and have recently updated our program to include a self-guided Macroinvertebrate class.
Waterway Health Assessment and Macroinvertebrates
Visit and assess the health of your local waterway with the help of OCCA. Students can learn how to collect and interpret water quality data (such as dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity/conductivity and turbidity) to help them understand how riparian habitat and local land uses may impact upon our catchment.
Students can also participate in dip-netting for macroinvertebrates and vegetation assessments to gain a greater understanding of our local riparian ecosystems. Our Macroinvertebrates class is also offered as a self-guided excursion using OCCA’s Macroinvertebrate equipment and work booklets.
Ecological Assessment Skills
Choose a natural setting in local bushland, at your nearest waterway or in your school grounds to learn about our local flora. We teach foundation ecological survey skills such as transect and quadrat assessments. Our staff and volunteers can also help students to identify and understand the impact of weed species upon our local environment.
Students can also get their hands dirty by participating in a tree planting or by helping to remove weeds at one of the many Bushcare sites within Oxley Creek Catchment. Working bees provide students with hands-on volunteering experience and active involvement in local rehabilitation projects.
Please note that a tree planting may be subject to some additional fees to cover site preparation, seedlings, mulch and maintenance until establishment.
Assisting in the Community Nursery
Come along to OCCA’s Community Nursery and join in the propagation of Australian native plants for the catchment of Oxley Creek. Learn basic nursery skills including the collection and identification of native seed, cleaning and preparing seed, the propagation of plants from seed or cuttings and how to care for young seedlings.
Our nursery is also open for general volunteering. You can find out more information about volunteering with Jill and the team here.
Education Resources
Local educator and historian Beryl Roberts has written and illustrated some fun and creative activities that schools can incorporate into their curriculum to help educate young students. These resources can be viewed here.
Cost
Please contact us to discuss your education needs. We are happy to adapt our classes to suit different age groups and interests and can provide a range of education options including incursions, excursions and self-guided macroinvertebrate classes. As a general guide, our quotes include a $240 – Coordination Fee (to cover class preparation and site visits) plus $80/hr per staff member. Please note that these rates are excluding GST.
If you would like a quote or more information about our Education program then please contact the Partnerships team at partnerships@oxleycreekcatchment.org.au.
Sponsorship