The Montessori School Kingsley is committed to conservation and education opportunities associated with native bushland on the school property and at nearby Lake Goollelal for the benefit of its students and the wider community. The school’s successful application in round two of the City’s 2024-25 Community Funding Program has enabled the completion of their Bushland Seed Collection and Restoration Project.
Community Funding Program
The Community Funding Program provides financial support to incorporated community groups to conduct projects, programs, events or activities that benefit the City of Joondalup community. The program is open bi-annually in February and August and provides two levels of funding: small grants ($10,000 and lower) and large grants (greater than $10,000).
Groups with current or planned projects, programs and events that will help to build resilient and sustainable communities are encouraged to apply.
The Montessori School Kingsley’s love of the bush
The Montessori School Kingsley is a small, community school with an ethos of nurturing curiosity, independence and a lifelong love of learning.
Located near Lake Goollelal – part of the Yellagonga Regional Park wetland system – the school grounds include approximately one hectare of remnant native bushland. “Natural Environment: Conserve and manage the school’s bushland and surrounds for the benefit of the community” is a priority listed by the school board. The proximity to native bushland gives teachers and families of the students opportunities to put this into action, educating children about the natural world and environmental sustainability. The school’s curriculum takes a holistic approach to this including subjects such as botany and encouraging a hands-on learning approach for its students.
In 2023 the school’s Bushland Subcommittee identified the need to restore an area of native vegetation that had been disturbed to accommodate the construction of a new school building. Both the staff and primary school students also expressed a desire to learn more about native plant identification and seed collection, which they could do by participating in replanting the area with new seedlings. Their willingness to restore wild habitat combined with their passion for the environment and so a new project was born!
Bushland seed collection and restoration project
The project was sorted into phases with each stage engaging the students in the process.
In 2024, under the guidance of a botanist, upper primary school students learnt best practice methods to identify, collect, label and store native seeds from within the school’s existing bushland for future planting. They were also involved in seed treatment methods for germination, how to identify native vs exotic and invasive species and learnt the ecological benefits of increased trees and vegetation alongside waterways and in urban areas.
An annual bush walk and lake walk are ongoing opportunities for students and their families to further their learning about the importance of native vegetation and the Lake Goollelal ecosystem.
In June 2025, students from ages 3 to 18 years joined by their staff and parent volunteers in a planting day to plant 230 native seedlings into the transition area between the bushland and the school buildings.
On reflection, an upper primary student said, “… We went outside to the oval to plant some very beautiful plants. The whole school from pre-primary to lower secondary participated. At school to help us keep our bushland looking good we do weeding to keep them from getting too crowded. It is good to have bushland at our school so that we can have lots of animals and plants to give us oxygen. It makes me care a lot more about not killing our bushland and protecting it.”
Another student wrote, “We learned about the different types of plants and animals and how they affect Australia. We learned how Marri and Jarrah are native, while Lantana and Prickly Pear are not… Everything we have learned about our bushland will help future members of the world keep a healthy, organised and peaceful environment.”
By participating in the project the students have become more aware of specific plant species in the school’s bushland, exercised their observation skills and learned how to care for new plants. The whole school community is invested in nurturing the seedlings and maintaining this area as it re-grows.
The school has since planned further learning within its curriculum around native plants and looking after the bushland area, as well as visiting and learning about Lake Goollelal. The school has an outdoor classroom in the bushland where lessons are conducted. Each year the students are educated about weeds and work with parent volunteers to do hand weeding within the bushland to reduce the need for chemical sprays. Future projects could involve enhancing the habitat for black cockatoos which visit the school’s bushland seasonally.
Further reading and resources:
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Apply in the next round of the Community Funding Program to support your community group’s environmental project, program or event. To learn more refer to Community Funding Program.
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Find locally native plants suitable for your soil type. To learn more refer to Sustainable gardening.
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Apply for a free street tree for your verge. To learn more refer to Tree planting initiatives.
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Read about Miyawaki Forest nature-based learning. To learn more refer to Pocket Forests.
