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| School Activities Objectives |  |
To involve school groups spanning the length of the corridor in arts and environmental activities leading to their direct involvement in the Festival, the Mountains to Mangroves schools program aimed to offer schools along the corridor an opportunity to experience and interpret the nature of the corridor in its many forms:
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 | a valuable resource | |
a wildlife corridor | |
a corridor to enjoy | |
a corridor under pressure | |
by linking participating schools with professional visual, drama and dance artists and a web designer, students were given the opportunity to develop new skills while learning about the corridor and its place in their local environment. |
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| Secondary Schools | |
Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre
Hypothetical! Brisbane wildlife corridors environmental issues
Hypothetical! hosted by Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre was held at Brisbane City Hall. The panel was comprised of town planners, transport representatives and senior councillors from Pine Rivers and Brisbane City, the two adjoining local government districts in the Mountains to Mangroves corridor.
Panelists role-played in a discussion between representatives of two adjoining hypothetical local governments about a hypothetical development and its impact on the human and wildlife populations of the affected region. The audience—approximately 80 students from three participating high schools—was prompted to ask questions, raise issues and provoke further discussion.
At the end, the 'hypothetical development' was revealed to be a real proposal to build a road in an area of the corridor where it will very certainly impact on wildlife, rates and rate payers' lifestyles. Students had a hands-on experience of the concerns,
compromises—and possibilities—involved in making planning decisions that will directly affect them and their environment, not just in the future but right now.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Centre and the Festival, the debate was recorded as a high-quality, professionally produced video and is now available as a teaching and promotional resource.
Albany Creek State High School
Web designer Di Ball worked with Year Eight extension science students from Albany Creek State High School to assist them to create their own series of web pages documenting the native trees within Bunyaville State Forest. Their work became part of the larger Mountains to Mangroves Festival web site which has created a platform for further development of a corridor web site within the Brisbane Stories Website: http://brisbane-stories.powerup.com.au
Craigslea State High School
Three Year Ten classes worked with drama and dance artists Hayley Linthwaite and Amy Cupitt exploring sense of belonging to a place, the natural and man-made environment, and evolution and lifecycles through movement and dramatic techniques. Three pieces: Invasion, Botanical Chant and Life Force were created and performed on the Festival Day.
Invasion addressed the penetration of nature by human-made settlement. Students performed jointly with indigenous dance group Gnulling Yal-u.
Botanical Chant developed through playing with and manipulating the sounds and rhythmic potential of botanical names of the native plants occurring throughout the corridor.
Students in the Life Force performance developed the concept of life cycles and regeneration by exploring the movement and form of flora and fauna inhabiting the corridor.
Sandgate and District High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble
Composer Ralph Hultgren was commissioned to compose a piece of music reflecting the Mountains to Mangroves corridor. Supported by Festivals Australia, this piece, Many Paths—Millen Kulgun contains indigenous influences and evokes the natural environment.
Students of the Sandgate and District High School Symphonic Wind Ensemble worked with Hultgren rehearsing the piece, a process which involved field trips to explore the environmental and cultural significance of the corridor.
Many Paths—Millen Kulgen has been subsequently recorded and the score has been published for performance throughout Australia and the world.
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| Primary Schools | |
Special Places Sculpture Project: Visual artists Tony Rice and Tamara Edwards-Playne worked with seven primary schools along the corridor to create visual art works that were displayed on the festival day. They were supported by staff from the Downfall Creek Bushland Centre whose knowledge of the corridor environment was shared with the students.
Tony Rice worked with Mt Nebo State Primary School, All Saints Primary School and Ferny Grove State Primary School. The Students used detailed observation of forest life, drawing and construction skills to create 'Tower of Life'—sculptures symbolising protection of species of flora and fauna.
Tamara Edwards-Playne worked with McDowall State Primary School, Wavell Heights State Primary School, Craigslea State Primary School and Boondall State Primary School creating art works which drew attention to the connections and natural sequences intrinsic to the corridor. They used natural materials to produce installations specific to sites at Downfall Creek Bushland Centre.
A Living Corridor, A Living Classroom: Schools along the corridor were offered a resource package to help them use the corridor to structure teaching units around environmental and cultural aspects. This package is available at the Downfall Creek Bushland Education Centre.
Festival Day
Objectives:
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| To celebrate the values of the corridor by bringing together a broad cross-section of stakeholders and community members in a festival environment | |
To raise the level of debate in the community regarding the value of urban environmental assets. |
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Downfall Creek Bushland Centre
Raven Street Reserve, Rode Road, McDowall Sunday, 25 July 1999: 10.00am–4.00pm
Throughout the festival period, activities were planned to appeal to a broad range of people within and in areas adjoining the corridor. They were held in a number of locations, bringing the festival to the people.
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