The Grounds committee believes that early next term we should be able to take our first actions in relation to our Biodiversity and Nature Play Project.  Those first actions will involve the work on our Edward Beck Drive boundary.  As many of you would be aware, our plans are to build a lovely arty looking rendered wavy wall, which will be about 37 metres long and will average about 1.2 metres in height; timber gates (~ 5m); and a creeper covered chain link fence, which will be 72 metres long and about 1m high.

We will need some expertise to ensure the wall is properly engineered and constructed  and we will need some working bees to get everything done at an affordable expense. Drawings of our plans will be available soon; thanks Andrew Smith for the work so far.

Right now we need  a qualified builder / brick layer/ engineer to  oversee the footings and building of the wall. If you can help or point us to someone who can, please let us know by contacting Brian or leaving a  comment below.

Soon we will need some volunteers to unload and secure the 800 cement bricks we have sourced for the wall.  That work may well be during the holidays or after school one day.  We are planning to store those bricks in the cricket nets.  Again, please let us know by contacting Brian, Haidi Sutherland (wallsofeden@y7mail.com) or by  leaving a comment below.

We are in the process of getting quotes on the chain link fence.

We are hoping to use some substantial timbers for the fence posts for the timber gates. There will be double gates (4m opening) to allow for vehicle access and a single gate for pedestrian access.  We are looking for big wharf type recycled  timbers.  If you know of anywhere we might source these at an affordable price please let us know.  We will scale this idea down if we can’t get the right  timbers at the right price.

Monina Gilbey, Brian, and Jeremy and Jason from our NRM Education Team, are currently putting together a  submission for a Marion Council Community Grant to support the Biodiversity component of this major project.  We thank Alex Moran for his continued work in trying to source  clean soil  for the mounds we will be creating.  Brian is conferring with the owners of the land (this part of the school is leased) on some sharing of costs for the Edward Beck component of this project.

This is an exciting project which will be a wonderful resource for our students and the community.  Our Grounds committee and student  team are very keen and excited and we are looking forward to getting our working bees happening as next term unfolds.