St Joseph's Primary: 2022 Finalist – Thriving environment
St Joseph's Primary is a finalist for a Community Champion award in the Premier's Sustainability Awards 2022 – Thriving environment category. St Joseph's Primary School in Sorrento strives to make a positive impact within its community by teaching and living sustainable values. Although green space makes up only 10 per cent of their campus, the primary school has developed a range of small gardens that provide habitat and plant diversity for Indigenous insects and fauna. St Joseph’s has already gained 3 stars as a participant in the Sustainability Victoria Resource Smart Schools Program.
In 2021, St Joseph’s won both the Independent Schools Victorian Greatest Demonstrated Improvement of Green Space Award and a Junior Woolworths Landcare Grant to create an Indigenous bee and butterfly garden. All students were involved in researching and building habitat boxes for these insects as part of the garden project. They also propagate and plant species of plants to help attract and support the bees and butterflies.
