By The Granite Belt Sustainable Action Network
GBSAN was proud to be a sponsor for the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery’s Caring For Nature project which was officially launched on Sunday 6 March 2023.
The Caring for Nature Project comprises of an education unit Caring For Nature: Biodiversity and Endangered Species of the Granite Belt, which many of the local schools are using; The Caring for Nature Expo was held on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 August; The CRISPS Youth Art Prize in September, the theme is Caring for Nature featuring local fauna and flora.
The CRISPS Youth Art Prize usually exhibits 1000 works by local students.
The Caring for Nature Expo was attended by over 700 students from all primary schools in the district. Each child received a Boomerang Bag made of recycled fabric as a show bag, with resources from the presenters included.
Presenters were from the Quoll Society of Australia, Girraween National Park rangers, Granite Belt Sustainable Action Network, Birdlife Southern Queensland, Stanthorpe Rare Wildflower Consortium, Containers for Change, and Boomerang Bags. Groups of children rotated around the seven “stations” in a “speed dating” model.
The goals of the expo were to facilitate an accessible event that supported the learning involved in the Education Unit in a dynamic, exciting way, and to introduce students to the amazing community groups in the region doing work in this area.
The hope was that the students participating would share their knowledge with friends and family, take home some real-life strategies that they can encourage their family to undertake.
The Granite Belt is a treasure trove of biodiversity. A significant percentage of the region’s land is considered to have state biodiversity significance.
Our region contains four endangered regional ecosystems. We enjoy 240 known bird species and several fauna species with limited distribution including the Spotted-tailed Quoll and Cunningham’s Skink.
Unfortunately at least 66 species on the Granite Belt are considered Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable and Near Threatened under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 or the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999, including 11 critically endangered or endangered plants.
The Caring for Nature Expo and school kit is a great, enduring initiative by the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery that has engaged hundreds of kids and their families. If we are to continue to enjoy the beauty and diversity of our region there are lots of things that we can all do to Care for Nature whether it’s in your garden or on your property.
For more information on Caring for Nature visit www.srag.org.au/caring-for-nature or how to get involved in GBSAN visit www.gbsan.org.au
