Special programs

Since 2022 the Warrumbungle National Park Environmental EducationCentre (WNPEEC) alongside the NSW Wildlife Information Rescue andEducation Service (WIRES) and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Koala Team, have installed and continue to maintainTreeTroffs® and associated trail wildlife cameras throughout theWarrumbungle and Gunnedah area and also other NSW Department of Education’s Environmental Education Centres. This elevated watering trough and platform provides a safe haven for many native arboreal animals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The TreeTroff® was designed by a farmer from Gunnedah NSW with conservation in mind andto aid Koalas during dry climatic events. The TreeTroff® production has been funded by WIRES since the unprecedented fires in 2019 and 2020.

These fires sadly impacted native wildlife significantly in all eastern states with vast amounts of habitat affected.

Koalas and Others is an ongoing schoolyard and community biodiversity program utilising the TreeTroffs®, cameras, teachers and local ecologists to help these schools and their communities monitor native and introduced species in their schoolyards. The school community is educated about the value of being involved in citizen science and how long term data can help with the increased conservation of key native species.

Furthermore, the TreeTroff® outdoor cameras provide the opportunity for students and the community to regularly observe and analyze the captured imagery. The imagery and camera data stamps can be used in schools to provide project based learning which includes digital literacy and numeracy.

Warrumbungle National Park EEC staff will work with your students and staff to create your school’s wicking garden. The gardens address many curricular outcomes for Science and Technology, HSIE Geography, Aboriginal Language and Visual Arts. The creation of the gardens with your students and staff will produce a real sense of custodianship and will create an additional outdoor classroom space in your school. All stages can be involved in this incursion.

More information:

• Wicking Garden program flyer
• Resilience Farm Wicking Garden flyer
• Risk Assessment

The Young Leaders of the West program involves Stage 3 student leaders from many DoE schools to be involved in a program that develops their leadership skills. Furthermore, this program enhances the student voice by building on connections within the school, community and other peer school leaders. The students will identify, deliver and evaluate an individual school environmental leadership project that will contribute to their School Environmental Management Plan. This will inform their Principal and staff of strategies in which to improve and enhance their school & or community environment. The program involves students attending a two night leadership camp at the WNPEEC supported by a series of Teams meetings. The 2026 camp will run from 28-30 April.

The Sustainability Outreach Program, has been successfully delivered across rural and remote NSW since 2012.

Sustainability Outreach travels to different locations in Term 2 annually, engaging students in curriculum-based teaching and learning experiences, including hands-on activities, STEM, project-based learning and cooperative tasks. Over the past number of years, the Sustainability Outreach Network Initiative has visited schools in Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Burren Junction, Cobar, Collarenebri, Gunnedah, Coonamble, Enngonia, Lightning Ridge, Marra Creek, Nyngan, Tullamore and Walgett amongst others. The initiative facilitates opportunities to gain access to specialist teachers and environmental education programs delivered in line with NSW Department of Education, EZEC network and individual Environmental Education Centre strategic plans and goals. Sustainability Outreach 2026 is being hosted by Dorroughby EEC in the Lismore area.