Oatley Public School will build a butterfly garden on its school premises, after being awarded a prestigious gardening grant.
Thirteen schools across the country have been awarded a Yates and Junior Landcare garden grant for 2016, including three schools from Sydney. Oatley Public School received its grant on Tuesday, which included $1500, $500 worth of Yates gardening products and a Yates growing consultation.
The local school was awarded the grant following its involvement with the Design and Be Inspired in the Garden program.
The grant will be used to attract insects, including butterflies, into the school’s garden to facilitate the pollination of fruit trees.
A garden bed will be constructed next to an existing vegetable garden and planted with herbs, climbing clematis and other plants.
The new garden will also include sign posts, made by Oatley’s Men’s Shed, with the word butterly translated into all the language groups represented at the school.
Through this project, it is hoped the students will learn how butterflies and bees can have a large impact on food production through pollination.
The other two schools in the Sydney area to be awarded grants included Oxley Park Public School and Newtown High School.
Since 2009, Yates has been supporting Junior Landcare, a program which encourages young people to play an active role in ensuring the safe future of our environment.