Reef Guardian School

Being a Reef Guardian School, together with being a Catholic School, staff and students at St Joseph’s are committed to our role as stewards of Creation. The Reef Guardian Schools program is coordinated by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Working with others in our community, staff and students actively participate in activities aimed at improving catchments, water quality, sustainability, and Reef health.

This includes environmental and sustainability projects within our classrooms, our school grounds and local areas. Projects undertaken by our school community include:

  • native habitat revegetation (endangered Woongarra Scrub)
  • cleaning up beaches and wetland areas
  • recycling
  • vegetable gardening and composting
  • installation of solar panels
  • working with Parks and Wildlife staff on public awareness campaigns to protect our endangered loggerhead turtles
  • decoration of cloth shopping bags with messages and pictures
  • making cloth fruit and vegetable bags
  • creation of information calendars with information and messages on how each person can help protect the reef, our turtles and our environment
  • healthy, package free lunches
  • students have designed and manufactured rubbish pickup tools, and devices designed to prevent debris from entering our waterways
  • pet turtle (Milbi)