Sustainability
Sustainability is a key value and focus at the Learning Co-operative. We have a commitment to reduce our impact in the environment and to include sustainability as a genuine theme throughout our teaching and learning. We have solar panels, composting systems, a worm farm, chickens, we operate on tank water and are careful to repurpose, reduce and recylce waste where we can.
We also have extensive organic vegetable beds and two large greenhouses for children, parents and the community to use.
We have regular bush care working bees to help mange and conserve our beautiful bushland. Our site is home to a number of unusual indigenous plants.
The children enjoy spending large parts of their day engaging in unstructured nature play and take part in frequent bush walks, nature journalling and bush camps. They develop a natural love and respect for the natural world as part of their Co-op experience.
"This is a school where sustainability is not just a buzzword, it really is a natural way of life and a natural learning environment." -Michelle, a former parent at the Co-op and a key force behind the permaculture inspired school gardens and greenhouse.
The Learning Co-op were joint winners of Nillumbik Council's Practically Green Sustainability Award 2016 in the category of Sustainable Schools and Children's Centres. The judges said that there is not much more that could be done to make the school any more sustainable.
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