More than 100 pupils across Wyndham have joined forces at Werribee Open Range Zoo to share ideas to help wildlife conservation.
The eastern barred bandicoot, now considered to be extinct in the wild, was the focus of last week’s program.
Eleven schools took part in Love Your Locals Day, now in its third year.
In preparing their campaigns about sustainability and conservation of the bandicoot, pupils took part in online sessions where they met keepers, took a virtual tour of the zoo’s breeding facility and interacted with each other.
They then gathered at the zoo to unveil their campaigns, exchange ideas on raising awareness of threatened species, attend sustainability workshops and explore the zoo’s grassland ecosystem.
Love Your Locals is part of the Western Region Schools Sustainability Festival.
Zoo education officer Genevieve Johnson said children were critical in the fight to save native endangered animals.
“When they’re given an opportunity, some of the ideas they come up with are extraordinary,” she said.
“As well as saving wildlife, they had visions for a greener Wyndham with cleaner air, solar energy, more recycling and better public transport. They designed posters, wrote stories and poetry and even acted out plays – we were blown away by their creativity.”
Ms Johnson said the zoo would use a mix of zoo resources and online tools to create a ‘fighting extinction hub’ to connect schools with each other and conservation groups.
“The eastern barred bandicoot once existed in Wyndham, but it doesn’t any more,” she said. “We talked to students about the threats to our native wildlife and what they can do. Now we want them to spread the message.”
