2005 Media Releases
Friday, 19 August 2005
Launch of new Learning Centre at La Trobe University Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary
La Trobe University will launch its Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary Learning Centre at 10.30am on Friday 26 August. The Centre is located on the University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora.
The new Centre trains student leaders in ecological sustainability and team-building skills for environmental projects. Two portable classrooms for the Centre have been donated by the Victorian Department of Education and Training.
The Minister for Children, Ms Sherryl Garbutt, will launch the Centre on behalf of Ms Lynne Kosky MP, Minister for Education and Training.
Other speakers will be one of Australia’s leading environmental scientists, Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis – who is also Chancellor of La Trobe University – and Mr Donald Eddington, Educator of the Gresswell Cluster of local schools.
The Gresswell Cluster consists of four schools: Kingsbury Primary School, Macleod P-12 College, Rosanna Golf Links Primary School and Rosanna Primary School.
La Trobe University’s Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary provides an indigenous natural environment for conservation, education and research to support the learning and teaching objectives the University.
The Education Group based at the new Centre develops and operates education and natural history experiences for schools around Victoria, members of the public and La Trobe University staff.
Head Ranger of the Sanctuary, Mr George Paras, said the launch helps demonstrate the diversity of biological and environmental education delivered by La Trobe University. This ranges from postgraduate research by its own students to providing ‘real life’ environmental experiences for Victorian schools to help them with aspects of their science curriculum.
Apart from running education programs and ecotourism, La Trobe University’s Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary also houses the Keelbundora Plant Nursery and builds special nesting boxes for sale to the community.
The 28 hectare Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary is adjacent to La Trobe University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora. It features beautiful wetlands and woodlands which include 400 year old river red gums. The Sanctuary is home to 175 species of birds and mammals in a pre-European settlement setting.
As well as helping restore and conserve the indigenous environment and wildlife of Melbourne’s north, the University wetlands comprise a series of naturally filtered collection ponds, landscaped as lakes, which are used for water conservation and to irrigate University grounds and playing fields.
La Trobe University offers courses specialising in environmental science and management, and conservation biology, including water conservation. All are strongly supported by the physical environment of the campuses on which the courses are taught.
For further information:
Leeanne Fiedler, Tel: (03) 9479 1206, or see www.latrobe.edu.au/wildlife