By Phoebe Rose
Passionate young people from the Overnewton Anglican Community College are pushing to establish bee-friendly gardens throughout the West, and further.
A team from the college recently attended the YMCA Victorian Youth Parliament to put forward and debate their bill; The Establishment of Pesticide-Free Pollinator Gardens.
The team proposes to establish safe havens for native flora and fauna with a focus on reestablishing native bee populations. The proposed gardens are vital for the preservation of our nation’s unique environment and will foster native bee populations in areas where they’re declining.
Those part of the Overnewton Anglican Community College team include Scarlett Moore, Renee Brotchie, Lency Park, Etienne Agnew, Kaosi Ugwu, Katia D’Angelo.
“I could name like five animals off the top of my head and five plants that you can’t find anywhere else in the world,” says Agnew.
Renee Brotchie says the bill was inspired by an online trend.
“Individuals and groups of people have been creating their own pesticide-free pollinator gardens inside their own gardens,” says Brotchie.
The group also acknowledged the importance of preserving our natives as a part of our national identity.
“We think of Australia as a country, we take national pride in our landscapes and our wildlife,” says Park.
The team acknowledges the significant impact that recent natural disasters across the state have had on native plant species and believes now is a critical time to begin initiatives like this.
They noted the ongoing effects of the nationwide drought, emphasising the importance of selecting native plant species for these gardens. Native flora are inherently drought-resistant and can foster an environment for native birds and insects during climate crises.
The group hopes to establish these gardens in all local government areas that have the financial and spatial capacity to do so, placing these gardens a minimum of 3km and a maximum of 10km from residential or agricultural zones.
Jill Dowling, a qualified horticulturalist and educator, runs a school garden program called FARM and has a strong interest in pollinator gardens. She is passionate about edible and native gardens and believes there is a growing community demand for these types of spaces.
Jill has seen other community groups initiating similar projects, including the planting of native species to help create the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor.
Dowling hopes to see initiatives, such as the Overnewton Anglican Community College bill, as a way to further educate people on what pollinators are.
Dowling was moved to see young people in Victoria passionate about our native species and bringing these issues to programs like the Y’s Youth Parliament.
“I’m really excited to hear that there are young people, passionate young people pushing for change,” said Dowling.
Standing in Victorian Parliament House, the team confidently debated their bill, winning 38 votes to 20.
https://theheartgardeningproject.org.au/melbourne-pollinator-corridor
