My Little Ecosystem workshops
Our Natural Systems team will be offering My Little Ecosystem workshops across two events.
My little ecosystem is an assortment of educational drop in sessions designed to promote improving habitat for native species in urban environments and educate the community on the importance of these species. The various sessions have been designed to assist the community in creating and improving their own backyard ecosystem.
Where can you find them?
Tuesday 27 September: Children's Discovery Day | 10am to 2pm | Hunter Region Botanic Gardens, Heatherbrae
Please note: $5 entry.
Frog Hotel – 10am
Native insect hotel – 11am
Native Plants and Pollinators – 12:30pm
Worm farm and composting – 1pm
Workshop details
Frog Hotel workshop: Like most native animals, frogs are a vital part of the ecosystem and assist with keeping balance in the natural environment. Frog hotels can provide a supplementary habitat for frogs in urbanised areas. Aimed at tree frogs (Litoria species), these hotels provide a safe space that the frogs can easily climb. This session is designed to educate the community about the local frog populations and how to create habitat in their own backyards. Each attendee will create and take home their very own ‘frog hotel’ made of multiple PVC pipes.
Native insect hotel workshop: Australia is home to a range of native insects which perform important beneficial tasks for our environment. One crucial role insect’s play is the decomposition of debris and natural matter, providing us natural composts within our gardens. Another crucial role insect’s play is pollination. Bees are an integral part of pollinating our native plants and are currently in a crisis with limited habitat in city and urban areas. By providing our native insects a safe home within our gardens we can encourage these little critters to continue their important roles. This session is designed to assist the community to learn all about our native insects and the importance they play and how you can create your own insect hotel at home. Each person is able to build their own “native insect hotel” from prepared materials to take home and install in their garden.
Worm farm and composting workshop: Kitchen and garden waste contribute a large portion of household waste. Worm farms are a great way to recycle food scraps and green waste into garden fertilizer. Worm farms are easy to maintain and require very little time and effort. This sessions will education the community all about the importance of worms in our garden and how to make their very own worm farm at home. Each person is able to build their own mini compost to take home. Participants will also be able to help create a worm farm and learn all about worms.
Native plants and pollinators workshop: Australia’s native flora is often reduced in urban landscapes due to urbanisation and is often replaced in gardens with exotic species. This drop in session will focus on promoting the use of native plants in backyard gardens to provide food for and attract native pollinators. The session will include educational talks about local pollinator species and what individuals can do to provide a safe and welcoming space for them. Each participant will receive a free sapling and information pamphlet to encourage pollinators into their backyard.