2022-10-24 General Committee Meeting- Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project - Final Report (1)

Senior schools project
Noosa Environmental Education Hub has developed a year 10 – 12 Marine Science
and general science curriculum linkage to the Noosa Oyster Restoration Project
(Figure 6). The program offers fully supported education linkages with the project on
the river and provides hypothesis testing and opportunities for climate change
impacts to be explored in the science classroom.
This program has provided local schools with the opportunity to study the Noosa
River, the Noosa Oyster Reef Restoration Project and support better outcomes for
this catchment.
In collaboration with NICA, the Noosa EEHub is also providing students with the
opportunity to join the Oyster Gardening project by adopting an oyster bag and
monitoring the oyster spat growth for use on the newly formed reefs.
This not only furthers the student’s learnings it provides their classrooms with useful
data sets for interrogation and future expansion, giving life to curriculum. Schools can participate in a one-off presentation
where the bags are taken into the classroom and explored and a full term of ongoing connection to the project. Noosa EEHub
coordinate programs suitable to the schools resourcing and timetabling.
The project has been highly successful at raising awareness of:
    •    Oyster Restoration project need and process,
    •    the importance of oysters to marine ecosystems,
    •    the importance of reef ecosystems,
    •    riparian restoration and what plants are suitable,
    •    Kabi Kabi sustainability practices and traditional river uses,
    •    Kabi Kabi history of the area,
    •    sediment control,
    •    caring for our waterways,
    •    connection between the activities of students on campus and at home and their effects on waterway health.
         (Litter, fertilizer use, and the like).




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