Childcare centre gets new gardening equipment

Young charges at Canterbury Community Child Care Centre are learning about the importance of recycling and sustainability thanks to a $6,050 donation from Canterbury League Club.

The childcare centre based in Ashbury used the donation to refurbish their current garden shed, purchased two new gardening beds, children’s gardening equipment, plants and seeds.

“Children enjoy caring for our garden and regularly assist educators to tend to our flower, vegetable and sensory garden. They are instrumental in selecting what we grow in our garden beds and caring for these plants. Our produce often ends up in our morning and afternoon tea!” said Mary-Anne Mamarelis, Director of Canterbury Community Child Care Centre.

Gardening is not the only sustainable skill that is passed on to the centre’s children with recycling playing a big part in their everyday lessons as well;

“Children are also taught about reusing, recycling and up-cycling every day and they are encouraged to sort food scraps at lunchtime that are put into our outdoor compost and used in our garden beds and worm farm. This teaches children the natural composting cycle and how we can do it every day at preschool and at home.”

Mary-Anne goes on to say that their educators are regularly having discussions with the children and teaching them to care for the environment and sustain good health practices which forms part of the centre’s curriculum.

“It is important that we talk about recycling and sustainable practices from an early age as the Earth has finite resources. If we as a community can reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills, or reuse items that would otherwise pollute the environment, then we can make a positive difference to the world and secure it for future generations,” said Dr George Peponis OAM, Chairman of Canterbury League Club.