Payne Road School Wins Foodcube Award

The EcoMarines Ambassadors at Payne Road State School now have a vital resource to assist them in growing their gardens. The school has been awarded a Foodcube as part of their winning participation in the competition “What Does It Mean to Be an EcoMarine?”

Donated by the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the Foodcube system is a self-watering raised garden bed designed for growing food and environmental projects.

In June, schools were encouraged to share a photo or a short video that captures the essence of their sustainability journey as part of the Go Green for EcoMarines initiative. The young students at Payne Road secured first place with the slogan “Be Green, Be Seen, Be an EcoMarines”.

“Our teacher came up with the catchphrase. When you’re being green, you’re helping the environment. So, if you’re being green and being seen, then you’re also acting as an EcoMarine,” explains the Ambassadors Fern, Emily, and Elle.

It’s no surprise that the school won first place in the environmental competition. The staff and students have been focusing on the Containers for Change initiative. Their goal for the term was to raise $200, a target they have exceeded!

The EcoMarines Ambassadors have been actively involved by writing letters and designing labels to ensure that every family in the school is informed about bringing in their cans and bottles for recycling. The impact of the 10-cent recycling program has been significant, with notable results.

School teacher Jennifer McMahon adds that, in parallel, the Ambassadors are also designing a lid for a special bin to collect compost, creating posters, and organising photo competitions.

“Our team is running a composting campaign at school to encourage all classes to participate by providing each class with a small compost caddy. We even created a video for an assembly to demonstrate where the compost goes, what it turns into, and how it benefits the garden,” Ms. McMahon says.

EcoMarines CEO, Angela Massy, stresses that the organisation is always looking to provide free environmental education programs and support to more schools. “Our EcoMarines Ambassadors are local students responsible for developing ecological projects in their schools and communities, ranging from installing recyclable waste systems to the rehabilitation of vast green areas.”