This article was written by Year 6 students, Will Day and Julia Lin.
At Grimwade House students learn about and value the importance of protecting our environment for the future. There are opportunities to engage in sustainable practices at school, for example, composting of food scraps, recycling items such as paper, turning lights off when not in the room, and using half flush on the toilets.
These small steps are important to preserve resources and protect our planet. To have a wider understanding of what is possible beyond our school community, Year 6 students recently attended a camp where they saw sustainability on a whole new level.
A look at life in a sustainable community
The camp gave students an opportunity to visit ‘The Cape,’ a sustainable housing project in Cape Paterson. ‘The Cape’ project was started in 2013 and there are 232 house sites so lots of people can have the opportunity to live there. All houses must have a minimum of a 7.5-star energy efficiency rating, 10,000 litres of rainwater storage, and a 2.5 kilowatt solar system.
A high energy efficiency score means your house costs less to run because it uses less energy. The houses are built with sustainable materials like double glazed windows and doors to keep heat in when it’s cold and out when it’s hot. The solar panels allow residents to generate and store electricity to power their houses and electric cars.
Collecting rainwater and storing it in tanks around the house allows it to be used for toilet flushing and watering plants. This means they can use clean water for essentials only, like drinking and showering.
Fun with friends in an outdoor classroom
Another thing ‘The Cape’ does is grow lots of food in its community garden. The Year 6 students met with Gardener Adrian and helped out with planting, feeding worms, and harvesting. Some of the foods currently growing include pomegranates, pumpkin, basil, apples, lettuce, and beetroot, and they are available for the whole community to enjoy.
The Year 6 camp at Grimwade allowed us to go surfing, snorkelling, hiking, cook our own meals and sleep in tents with friends.
In addition, students got to see firsthand how the concept of sustainability can be applied to housing communities and the benefits for its residents. Camps are great because you get to learn fascinating information while hanging out with your friends in nature.
