Now we are embarking on an exciting voyage of creativity and First Nations culture with our NED Foundation funded Bell’s Turtle project with the Ballandean State School students.

Term 3, which runs from July through to September, will see our project ramping up again with activities. We’ve started with the visit from Bell’s Turtle researcher, Dr Lou Streeting, visiting the school to read her book, “Where are all the Baby Turtles” to the students and being interviewed as an author by the students.

We are pleased that the SDRC Parks and Operations Team will support the GBSAN/Ballandean State School community planting day in early October by preparing the planting holes along the riparian zone of Accommodation Creek to enhance the habitat for the turtles.

During Term 2, Barb Benham continued working with students on nature journaling as a playful and engaging way to observe and record what is happening at the creek.

Our GBSAN Ballandean SS Bell’s Turtle project welcomed Senior Ecologist Dr Darren Fielder to speak to the school community and take the years 4 to 6 to Accommodation Creek to check the turtle traps.

Thanks to funding from philanthropist group NED (Nurturing Evolutionary Development) the GBSAN/Ballandean SS Bell’s Turtle one year project is well underway. Students are fired up to learn more about how we can protect the endangered Bell’s Turtle and its habitat at Accommodation Creek near the school.

Granite Belt Sustainable Action Network (GBSAN) and the Ballandean Primary School have teamed up to protect the endangered Bell’s Turtle.

Great news! We have received funding from the Philanthropist group NED (Nurturing Evolutionary Development) to implement our year-long GBSAN/Ballandean SS Bell’s Turtle Project.

GBSAN has commenced work with Granite Belt schools, starting with Ballandean State School, to incorporate local biodiversity into the curriculum.

GBSAN is working on connecting with and collaborating with local schools to include local biodiversity and cultural awareness into cross curriculum activities. We have commenced a pilot project with Ballandean SS with a focus on the endangered Bell’s Turtle.