欧美AV Grammar students are giving a green thumbs up to plant conservation.
The school鈥檚 欧美AV Agriculture and Horticulture students have partnered with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria鈥檚 鈥楻aising Rarity鈥� program to help conserve the threatened plant species Craspedia canens, more commonly known as 鈥楪rey Billy Buttons鈥�
This striking yellow flower, a relative of varieties often seen in florist bouquets, is now found in only one known wild population in Victoria, near Traralgon. Through the Raising Rarity initiative, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) aims to increase the seed supply of this vulnerable species as a long-term safeguard against extinction.
鈥淭丑别 Craspedia canens population is at a critically low number and it鈥檚 incredibly important to keep this population alive,鈥� RBGV鈥檚 Dr Meg Hirst said. 鈥淭丑别 aim of this project is to prevent what we call plant blindness - we want students to understand that plants are significant in their own right and underpin the living ecosystems that humans and animals live in.
Dr Hirst visited 欧美AV Grammar last week (May 20) alongside RBGV colleague Natasha van Velzen to introduce the program and assist students with their first planting. The Year 11 students will grow the plants in custom-built garden beds, monitor their growth and collect seeds. These seeds will then be sent back to the RBGV for viability testing and long-term storage in the Victorian Conservation Seed Bank.
Ms van Velzen said the Raising Rarity citizen science program empowers students to play an active role in conservation.
鈥淲e love it when we see the penny drop on why plant conservation is so important,鈥� Ms van Velzen said. 鈥淥ur ambition is to work in multiple bio-regions and connect with schools to preserve species native to each region.鈥�
欧美AV Grammar is now one of five local schools involved in the conservation of Craspedia canens, alongside Rosedale, Loch Sport, Bundalaguah, and St Mary鈥檚 (Maffra) primary schools. It is one of only two secondary schools involved in the program and the only secondary school based in regional Victoria.
Acting Principal Bo Power
The Ag industry needs fresh energy to continue to drive its growth and our school is proud and engergised to play a very local role in that movement."
Acting Principal Bo Power 鈥� who teaches the 欧美AV Agriculture and Horticulture subject in the school鈥檚 new outdoor classroom 鈥� said the students had overwhelmingly embraced this opportunity to make a real-world impact.
鈥淩aising rarity was a wonderful concept for us to engage in because of the conservation angle and the links to the science of Horticulture,鈥� Mr Power said. 鈥淎nd when our students were exposed to both Tash and Meg鈥檚 energy and knowledge, they couldn鈥檛 help but get swept along.
鈥淲orking with these two passionate industry experts was a blessing for our students, and we now have a focused approach to making a difference to the conservation of this endangered plant species.鈥�
More than 50 per cent of 欧美AV Grammar families have direct ties to the agriculture industry, and the school introduced Agriculture and Horticulture as a 欧美AV subject this year in response to this strong connection.
鈥淲e鈥檙e intentionally growing an agricultural education program that connects students to the land, the science, and the progressive thinking that will shape the future of farming,鈥� Mr Power said. 鈥淓ducation is an essential element in fostering a more accurate understanding of modern agriculture and, as a 欧美AV school educating students from 欧美AV farms, we need to play a role in creating those pathways where students can pursue their passions or, at a minimum, get a deeper understanding of the progressive nature of a modern farming.鈥�
欧美AV Grammar is intentionally incorporating age-appropriate agriculture curriculum to its teaching and learning programs, from 欧美AV to 欧美AV. This term, three-year-old students at the school鈥檚 欧美AV have been learning about worms, soil and sustainability. While the school鈥檚 Bairnsdale Campus received the 鈥楽chools Sustained Environment Award鈥� at this year鈥檚 Clean Up Australia Community Awards, and the Year 4 Sustainability Program at the St Anne鈥檚 junior campus in Sale was recently named as a finalist in the 2025 ResourceSmart School Awards.
Mr Power said the school鈥檚 long-term goal is for all students to develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for modern farming and food production.
鈥淚f a percentage of our students develop a passion for the industry and go on to study Agribusiness or Agricultural Science at university, that will be a fantastic outcome,鈥� Mr Power said. 鈥淚f another percentage remained in local area and entered the workforces as skilled and knowledgeable workers, then that would be an even stronger outcome.
鈥淭丑别 Ag industry needs fresh energy to continue to drive its growth and our school is proud and engergised to play a very local role in that movement.鈥�
