Living River Launch

Image: Artwork by students from poster for the Living River project

It was all happening in Burrumbuttock on Thursday 15 May! The ‘Living River’ education project was launched at Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre during which a new native fish tank was unveiled and attendees got a sneak peek at a new DVD all about the Murray River. Also on view was a web resource book and poster.

These educational resources were developed by Owen Dunlop, principal of Burrumbuttock Primary School, and the Murray-Darling Association. Students from Burrumbuttock Primary and other schools along the Murray River were involved in the production of the DVD and creation of the poster.

The project also includes a web-based resource book. This, and all the other materials, will be available to schools as well as being downloadable from the NSW Department of Education and Training curriculum website.

Left: Emma Schilg, one of Burrumbuttock Primary’s students who starred in the ‘Living River’ DVD. Right: Dr David Watson showing the attendees the new native fish tanks and their fish occupants. Below right: Detail of Indigenous art on fish tank. Photos: Margot Hislop

These resources were made possible by the Murray-Darling Association, with funding from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and the Commonwealth Government’s Quality Teacher Program

Above: Dr Wendy Craik opening the launch of the Living River project. Right: Dr Wendy Craik, Owen Dunlop and students and teachers who were part of the production of the Living River project.  Photos: Margot Hislop

Dr Wendy Craik, CEO of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, was pleased to launch the project saying,

“We are delighted that the ideas and projects created by school students from six schools along the upper Murray River, which we helped to fund, will now form a new work unit for pupils across 2000 schools in the state”.

Wendy adds,

“Since 1993 we have funded a number of environmental education programs, including Special Forever – an innovative and award winning program through which children across the Basin learn about their ecological and natural resources systems through discussion, creative writing and visual art. This new work unit will add another dimension to environmental education in NSW.”

For more information on the new education unit go to www.wirraminna.org

Media contact: Sam Leone, Phone: 0407 006 332