Students from around the Upper Lachlan Shire participated in an interactive educational event that helped to deliver an important message about the environment at Taralga Public School for a Threatened Species Day event on Thursday, September 8.

Children from Bigga, Binda and Laggan public schools joined the students at Taralga Primary School for the program.

As part of a partnership between local and state environmental organisations the children participated in drawing, tree planting and theatre to learn about wildlife and nature.

“As much as this is a really enjoyable day, it is also a very important day,” Upper Lachlan Landcare coordinator Ruth Aveyard said.

“Engaging our younger generation from an early age to consider their local environment and the role they have in looking after it, is critical to the long term survival and rehabilitation of our local natural areas.”

The event offered the students a chance to understand the value of a healthy environment through an art lesson with Kate Smith, an interactive theatre performance based on the threats to wildlife by cats produced and performed by Eaton Gorge Theatre Company.

The students participated in an engaging tree-planting demonstration with Ms Aveyard and K2W Link coordinator Mary Bonet.

They were encouraged to think about the local threatened flora and fauna species and understand their threats and habitats in an interactive talk with representatives from the Environment NSW Saving our Species (SOS) program’s Damon Oliver and Laura Canackle from Queanbeyan.

Mr Oliver said “SoS staff had a great time fielding some amazing questions and hearing about what the kids already know about their local environment, so it’s pleasing to know they are aware of the importance of biodiversity.”

The educational program was an opportunity to help the students understand the importance of a healthy environment for people and the planet and the threats to it and how we can all continue to assist in supporting nature to heal after the Black Summer Bushfires.

The event was a collaboration between NSW Government Saving our Species, Upper Lachlan Landcare, Eaton Gorge Theatre Company, Kate Smith Art, the Taralga P&C and the K2W Link and jointly funded by the Great Eastern Ranges and WWF-Australia as part of a broader bushfire recovery effort.