Gardening guru Costa at Wagga Wagga Public School

Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis thrilled children in teacher Will Dorrell's Year 5/6 class at Wagga Wagga Public School when he paid them a visit to inspect their recycled bottle greenhouse.

Photo Addison Hamilton, The Daily Advertiser, November 9-10 2013

» Full story in the The Daily Advertiser

Will Dorrell is one of the teachers the Murrumbidgee Landcare schools project - Joining the dots - had been keen to connect with to explore what works and what doesn't in getting schools and young people engaged in Landcare activities. Will is the Environmental Education Coordinator at WWPS.

One of the things we have identified is just how crucial it is to have a key teacher or parent (or ideally both) who are able to lead and sustain interest in environmental activities. Will began with funds through Junior Landcare and the Wagga Wagga City Council to establish the Crow Patch - a vegie garden in the centre of the school.

Through participation in WWCC sustainable schools program, Will and students Frankie Allen and Morris Benjamin became interested in the recycled bottle greenhouse at Collingullie Public School. They took a trip out to Collingullie and were impressed with what they saw. Armed with tips and tricks from Collingullie's experience, Will and students set about collecting the 1600 plastic bottles needed to make the greenhouse. Then, with all sorts of assistance and especially from Will's dad, a structure began to take shape.

The greenhouse now has pride of place in the WWPS Enviro Corner and is the focus for ongoing environmental activities involving students of all ages. And just in time for Christmas, the student gardening club have seedlings for sale - direct from their greenhouse to you.

• Veggies/Fruit:
  • watermelon, corn, rockmelon,
  • capsicum, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes,
  • pumpkin, rocket, coriander, parsley and lettuce.
• Flowers:
  • sunflowers, petunias and nasturtiums.

Contact: Will Dorrell