At the beginning of March we went down to Martins Bend in Berri for our first YEL meeting. YEL stands for Young Environmental Leaders. We are the NRM students representing OLOR for 2020 and have some exciting things planned to help the school, and the environment.

During our YEL forum at Martins Bend we went on a nature walk, did some bird watching, learned how to basket weave and finished with a fun energy stick activity.

During our nature walk we were encouraged to stop and look for different birds. We were given a pair of binoculars and a booklet full of the many different birds we might see. We could hear a kookaburra, but we could not see it and saw lots of Willy wag-tails. I was really hoping to see the kookaburra but it was well hidden. It was a lot of fun learning about the importance of water and trees to the different kinds of birds living at Martins Bend.

After our walk we were met by Max and Sherry. They are traditional peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region. Their ancestors have used the art of basket weaving for lots of years. We used reeds that they had found by the river. You need to start with dry reeds and soak them in water so they do not snap, and you can weave with them. We did not make a basket but learned the skill of weaving the reds over and under. It would have taken a lot of time to make big baskets for carrying food or used to catch fish.

To finish off our time at the YEL forum we played a game where we all had to hold onto the arm of the person next to you and there was a stick which lit up and made a sound when the connection between us all was made. We were able to get everyone at the forum in the circle and the energy stick still made the sound. It was really cool. The more people that joined in, the harder it became. We also tried to make the connection with our feet. This activity showed us the power of being connected, not only with each other, but with nature.

We are looking forward to many more YEL forums and have some exciting ideas planned for the next few terms, so keep an eye out!

By Madison P, Emma B, Ruby W and Anastasia K in Year 5.