Award for Australian Waldorf School

This award recognises outstanding sustainability achievement in Victorian schools through:

• positive impact and innovation
• addressing sustainability as a cross-curriculum priority
• engaging the broader community
• improvements to campus operations and/infrastructure
• sustainability leadership in the education sector/other schools

RedGum holds sustainability as a core value, and this ripples out from students to families and the broader community, creating a network of inspired sustainability champions. RedGum is a 5 Star ResourceSmart school fostering strong connections to nature which are embedded in their curriculum and includes First Nations perspectives and whole community in the care of the land the school occupies.

Biodynamics, permaculture principles, and a passionate school community were key in transforming the school site from barren grazing land with just three trees to the thriving ecosystem it houses today. The school garden, using rain water tanks for irrigation, is maintained by parents, staff and students. The produce from the veggie patch is used for cooking classes, shared with local charities, and sold by students at school and the Young Growers Market.

As well as installing nesting boxes across the school campus and championing a comprehensive recycling system, the student-led RedGum Eco Club built a bird hide to encourage students to observe local birdlife during their breaks. RedGum has more recently opened this space up to birdwatchers and has also used it as a space to mentor other schools who are just beginning their sustainability journey.

Taking an innovative approach to using their wetlands as a classroom, RedGum students are collaborating with RMIT university to study gas emissions from stagnant waterways. They are also working with Junior Landcare, North Central Catchment Management Authority and Charles Sturt University to increase biodiversity in the wetlands, and to study what impact this may have on native aquatic species.

Judges at the Awards said:«RedGum models what is possible when a deep commitment to sustainability is paired with strong local and global awareness.»