Replant, revive, recover: Birdwood Primary School

The Cudlee Creek fires that started December 20, 2019 in the Adelaide Hills took their toll on the local community. However, Birdwood Primary School and an army of volunteers have set out to replant, revive and recover what was lost.

Birdwood Primary School Garden Specialist, Melissa Rosenberg alongside her fellow teacher and friend Linda Keen put their green thumbs to work, to not only grow plants for the fire-affected families and their properties, but incidentally grow a stronger community. They started the Adelaide Hills Garden Revival Facebook group, which grew to 600 members in the first week. The garden-centric group provided a space for people to ask questions, propagate their own plants to use and/or donate, as well as uplift each other. Paired with willing hands, donations and a whole lot of heart, they are making an enormous impact on their local community.

Melissa wanted to give the kids a positive focus for when they returned to school. The fire destroyed 87 homes along with almost 500 other buildings; farmland, local flora and fauna were also lost. “There wouldn’t be a child that wasn’t affected,” explained Melissa, so she set her sights on propagating plants and rejuvenating the landscape with hardy natives. It gave a chance for the kids to help their fellow classmates and put their gardening skills to practice beyond the school gate. 

Birdwood Primary School students have been propagating rosemary, lavender, wormwood and sweet potatoes to help nourish their neighbour’s backyards. An open day has been scheduled for the fire affected families to come and choose from the array of native trees and edible veggie and herb plants propagated by the Adelaide Hills Garden Revival community and the primary school. “It has been wonderful to see so many caring people willing to support us in being a small part of reviving some of our community’s gardens,” stated Linda in a message to the Adelaide Hills group.

We love hearing about kitchen garden programs that extend beyond the classroom into the community. We have so much admiration for the selfless volunteers, staff and children at the heart of helping these communities flourish. 
If you have a story from your school community please share it with our Communications Coordinator Ethan Jenkins at: ethan.jenkins@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au 

If you are a member or Program school or service and want to keep up to date with Birdwood Primary School and their Kitchen Garden Program, feel free to follow them on the Shared Table.