also a natural fertiliser that is absorbed into the soil
when the worm juice is added, or the gardens are
watered.
We have added frog ponds into the playground
to help reduce mosquitos. Tadpoles are hatched
indoors from frog spawn, so the children can watch
the different stages of tadpoles as they grow and
turn into frogs. Once the tadpoles grow their legs
and lose their tail, they are then transferred into
the outdoor ponds so they can then feed off the
mosquito larva. Because the frogs eat the larva, it is
prevented from turning into biting mosquitos.
Engaging the community
To be able to create and maintain our growing
sustainable environment, we have needed help
from the community. Our local Bunnings assists us
in providing donations and helping with fundraising
events. Coffee shops help by providing their weekly
stock of coffee grounds for our gardens and 2-litre
milk cartons are used for various things around the
centre. Families have helped create gardens and
filled them with soil. Some families have provided
us with seeds from the fruits and vegetables of
their culture such as a hairy or fuzzy melon.
that one child who is allergic to eggs is not allergic
to home grown eggs. In fact, we discovered that
for this child it is not the eggs they are allergic to,
it is the additives that are fed to the chickens and
passed through to the egg (this is the case with
shop bought chicken eggs). However, we note that
this may not be the same for all children with egg
allergies.
We also discovered that the older an egg is, the
easier it is for the shell to be removed once it has
been hard boiled. In fresh eggs the shell does
not peel off cleanly. This is because the albumen
(egg white) sticks to the inner shell membrane
due to the less acidic environment. As the egg
ages, the protective coat slowly wears off and
the egg becomes porous, absorbs more air and
releases some of its carbon dioxide. This makes
the albumen more acidic, causing it to stick to
the membrane less. The egg white will also shrink
slightly so the air space between the egg shell and
the membrane grows larger, resulting in the shell
being easier to peel. For ideal peeling of hard-
boiled eggs, it is best to use eggs that are 7 – 10
days old.
Most significant things we have learnt
There are so many things that we have learnt
along the way with the children which is what has
made it so much more valuable. It demonstrates to
children that we learn through our entire life, that it
is alright not to know the answer and that you can
research to find the information. We have learnt
not to let someone tell you that something won’t
work without giving it a try. Maybe it won’t work,
but maybe it will. The only way you will know is to
have a try.
The learning experiences have been completely
different for every staff member. The significance
of the learning depends on how much knowledge
someone started with. For example, one educator
was completely amazed when we grew our
first pineapple. She thought pineapples grew
underground like potatoes. Another educator was
amazed that it all can start with one tiny plant and
grow into a sustainable oasis. Another educator
found it significant to learn that native bees do not
sting.
Over the years, there have been many significant
learning opportunities for everyone, no matter
their age. One particularly valuable experience was
Page 6
www.ku.com.au
JANUARY 2019