Over the past three months Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s education team has been delivering Project Plains-wanderer to students from Blighty Public School, Jerilderie Public School and Finley High School from the Riverina region in New South Wales. The project is aimed at increasing community awareness of the critically endangered Plains-wanderer. 

Throughout the project students had the opportunity to learn from Plains-wanderer scientists, keepers and educators about the birds’ features, behaviour, ideal habitat and why they are critically endangered in the wild, in the area these students live.

Recently the students held an expo at Finley High School which was the culmination of the project.
“The students were able to showcase their innovative Plains-wanderer community awareness campaigns to their peers, Finley High School students, parents, community members and staff from various government departments,” said Education Officer, Stephanie Maguire.

Students created projects in the form of dioramas of the ideal and less ideal habitats, tile mosaics, performances, clay sculptures, power point presentations and advertisements. There was even a published picture book and handmade and designed Plains-wanderer pins that could be worn on a shirt.
“We were truly blown away by the different campaigns the students created and they were well received by everyone who attended.”

“The creativity and innovative ideas the students came up with for their campaigns were beyond my expectations and amazing for primary school aged children,” said Stephanie.

“The overall message of conservation and the environment is a critical one because if we don’t work together as a community future generations won’t have these species around.” 

“At the expo day I had a lot of feedback from parents telling me how much their children loved the project and came back from their overnight stay at the zoo sprouting facts about the Plains-wanderer,” said Stephanie.

“Many parents said they hadn’t heard of the Plains-wanderer before the project and now hoped to see one on their properties, now that they knew what to look out for.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the overall result of the project, it has definitely raised awareness for the species in the local area and will hopefully assist towards conservation efforts in the region,” said Stephanie.

Project Plains-wanderer is supported and funded by Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.