This project implemented sustainable practices and programs at Hartwell Primary School that changed how teachers, students, and the community understand and plan for issues like water, waste, recycling, biodiversity, and energy management. As part of the project, the school rebuilt facilities with sustainable features, installed water tanks and compost bins, transformed the vegetable patch, collected overflow drinking water, initiated recycling, and planted native plants. To celebrate their sustainability efforts, the school held a "Green Day" where students dressed in green and had a rubbish-free lunch while planting trees. The impacts included changes in behaviors, attitudes, awareness, and resource use as well as an increase in recycled materials and the formation of student environmental action teams.

1. Greening HartwellReuse the past, recycle the present, save the future Michael Lee and Alex Parrington Hartwell Primary School

2. Embedding sustainable behaviors and practices within the whole school curriculum

3. Abstract This project implemented practices and programs at Hartwell Primary School that permanently changed the schools teachers, students and the communities understanding and future planning for water, waste, recycling, biodiversity and energy management. The aim of the project is the give the children at Hartwell ownership of the programs and for them to become the driving force behind them.

4. School Rebuild in progress A perfect opportunity to include sustainable practices and features in the new buildings

5. Visual Changes in the yard For example: Water Tanks

6. Recycling Organic Waste We have 11 Bokashi Buckets in classrooms two compost bins and a worm farm.

7. Our vegetable patch (before)

8. Our vegetable patch (after)

9. Collection of overflow drinking water was a huge saving for our gardens

10. Recycling We initiated a coordinated recycling program including the collection of paper, cardboard and the introduction of council collected comingled waste.

11. Native Plants We have planted over 100 indigenous plants in the school grounds

12. Green Day As a celebration of our commitment to sustainability at Hartwell and the work done so far, we had a “Green Day” with a guest speaker. The kids dressed in green and we had a rubbish free lunch and planted indigenous trees.

15. Improvement in use of resources ie water, paper and waste including food waste

16. Increase volume of recycled materials including paper, cardboard, tins and bottles

17. The formation of a sustainability committee

18. Student environmental action teams for weather reports, recycling, water and gardening