Students from across Wyndham saw a different side to Werribee Open Range Zoo recently.
About 100 primary school pupils spent the day at the zoo earlier this month for the fifth annual Love Your Locals Day, which challenges and inspires young people to learn more about conservation and ecology.
Mara from St Andrews Primary School and Jade from Cambridge Primary School joined other youngsters to plant native grasses at the zoo.
Each school also had the chance to name an eastern barred Bandicoot – an endangered species – and will be sent regular updates throughout the life of their chosen bandicoot.
Love Your Locals Day is an initiative of Werribee Zoo, Wyndham council, Our Lady of Southern Cross, Westgrove Primary School, Point Cook College, Manor Lakes College, St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School, Cambridge Primary School, Werribee Primary School, Corpus Christi Werribee, Manorvale Primary School and Carranballac College.
Wyndham councillor Peter Gibbons said it was important to instill a sense of environmental responsibility in children.
