School joins Land for Wildlife

Pretty Beach Public School was among one of the first schools in NSW to join Land for Wildlife program on Friday, March 5.

Beyond the classrooms and playground, Pretty Beach Primary is among a number of school grounds, which has an active natural habitat.

Some school grounds can contain caves, burrows, threatened frog species, wallabies, or tall forests with nesting hollows for gliding possums.

These school grounds provide an ideal opportunity for students to learn about and maybe even see elusive and threatened animals.

Central Coast Land for Wildlife coordinator Mr Jeff Drudge visited Pretty Beach school with NSW Land for Wildlife coordinator Sally Ash on Friday.

Also attending were Moth and Cobweb, baby squirrel gliders, courtesy of Taronga Zoo.

The coordinators presented the schools with a Land for Wildlife sign to display at the front of the school to recognise the school's efforts in providing land for wildlife.

Land for Wildlife offers the schools access to a range of resources provided by the Department of Environment and Conservation.

The schools receive advice from wildlife experts, fact sheets, newsletters and links to a statewide network of landholders.

Land for Wildlife is a free project to support landholders and schools manage parts of their property as habitat for native plants and animals.

Mr Drudge said: "Pretty Beach and Kincumber Public Schools are showcase Land for Wildlife properties.

"They both contain beautiful natural features and provide valuable habitat for threatened species, including the red-crowned toadlet and the yellow-bellied glider.

"Bushcare groups actively manage the weeds and wildlife habitat at both schools with a lot of support from the schools' principals.

"The schools' communities also understand the important contribution this wildlife habitat makes to the school, and to their community.

"It is appropriate that the Central Coast has the first two schools in NSW to join Land for Wildlife.

"People move to the Central Coast for the natural beauty and for the wildlife.

"Many of the area's most beautiful places and most special wildlife occurs on private land.

An open day for conservation partners, landholders and the school communities at Kincumber and Pretty Beach Public Schools will be held in May.

People who would like to know more about Land for Wildlife or would like to make their property friendlier for native plants and animals may contact Jeff Drudge on 4349 4754.

Press release, March 4