Belltrees Public School
Belltrees Public School in the Upper Hunter region has worked with parents and the wider community to transform the school grounds into a thriving exemplar of sustainability and regenerative agriculture practices.
The most recent drought left a lasting impression on the region and the school has undertaken a series of community education initiatives and operational efficiency projects since 2019 to improve the school’s sustainability.
Capability and capacity building events have been multifaceted, such as:
- running regenerative agriculture workshops for local farmers teachers and community members
- hosting visits from other schools in the region to learn how to adopt and implement similar sustainability strategies on their own school sites
- establishing a paddock to plate program in collaboration with Murrurundi Public School
- hosting the local garden ramble to showcase their productive vegetable garden and extensive plantings across the school
- organising joint excursions for students, teachers, local farmers and community members to visit model farms using regenerative agriculture methods
- participating in the Hunter River Health Check, a project that was developed and implemented by Belltrees Public School, in collaboration with Hunter Local Land Services as a citizen-science project bringing together dozens of school along the Hunter River to monitor and learn about riparian health.
- recognised in a case study by DCCEEW for the school’s effort to embed behavioural and systematic initiatives working towards net-zero such as reducing electricity consumption such as wearing jumpers, turning off lights and using fit bits to measure personal energy use.
Efforts to improve the operational efficiency and biodiversity, thereby reducing the environmental impact of the school, have included:
- installation of solar panels, LED lights, timers for air conditioners, solar electric fences, solar meters, solar lights, use of blinds, energy savers and passive cooling
- planting a productive vegetable garden
- planting over 500 trees, shrubs and grasses, ferns and reeds
- setting up compost and FOGO waste separation systems
- implementing regenerative agriculture principals including cover cropping and a rotational grazing program to support further carbon sequestration
- rehydrating the landscapes building contour banks and terraformed paddocks to capture and filter run-off, and store water using a ‘ponds system’ and leaky weirs.
The cumulative results of this holistic approach have been enthusiastic received by all involved and have become a source of community pride about what has and can be achieved.
“Belltrees’ sustainability and regenerative agriculture program fosters an authentic community of practice, uniting staff, students, and community through shared purpose. It enhances our students’ sense of belonging and engagement while providing rich, real-world learning experiences that support our HPGE implementation by challenging and extending students in meaningful, future-focused ways. Shane Roberts, Principal Belltree's Public School
The school had become a real living laboratory for environmental education, using a best practice approach that continues to win accolades including:
- 2024 – Sustainable Schools NSW Teacher of the Year
- 2023 – Minister’s Young Climate Champion
- 2023 – Australian Tidy Town Sustainability Award – Young Legends Group Award Winners
- 2022 – Eco Schools Green Flag Award
- 2022 – AAEE – Sustainable Schools NSW School of the Year Award
- 2022 – NSW Australian Tidy Town Sustainability Award – Communication and Engagement Award Winners
- 2022 – Contributed to Scone winning NSW tidy town of the year
- 2021 – NSW Australian Tidy Town Sustainability Award – Waste Stream Management Winners.