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Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre facts for kids

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Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre
Wirraminna Gabion.jpg
Entry
Location

Australia
Coordinates 35°50′10.7″S 146°48′43.6″E / 35.836306°S 146.812111°E / -35.836306; 146.812111
Information
Established 1995
Website https://www.wirraminna.org.au/

The Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre is a special place in Burrumbuttock, New South Wales, Australia. It's a public park, a garden with many different plants, and a learning spot all in one! Volunteers help take care of this amazing centre, which started in 1995.

Wirraminna is a fantastic place for kids to learn about nature. Each year, over 2,000 primary school children visit from all over the region. They come to explore the gardens and discover more about the local environment.

In 2005, a special building called the Discovery Centre was added. This centre has cool aquariums where you can see native fish from the Murray-Darling Basin. You can also see the rare Southern Corroboree frogs there.

What is Wirraminna?

Wirraminna is more than just a park; it's an important environmental education centre. It helps people, especially kids, understand and care for the natural world around them. The centre has lots of signs that explain the environment story as you walk through the park.

The Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre is a key part of Wirraminna. It's a modern building made from rammed earth, which is a very strong and natural material. Inside, the aquariums let you get up close to aquatic life. Seeing the Southern Corroboree frogs helps visitors learn about protecting endangered species.

A Look at Wirraminna's History

Wirraminna has an interesting past. Long ago, it was a public watering place for animals, officially noted in 1904. Later, in 1937, it became a town water supply managed by the Hume Shire Council.

The idea for Wirraminna as an education centre came from local people. With help from the principal of Burrumbuttock School, it was officially opened in 1995. The Australian Government also helped in 2005, providing money that allowed the Discovery Centre to be built.

Awards and Recognition

Wirraminna has won several awards for its great work in education and conservation. These awards show how important the centre is for teaching people about the environment.

Year Award What it was for
1999 NSW State Landcare Awards Education (with Burrumbuttock Public School)
2015 NSW State Landcare Awards NSW Junior Landcare Team Award (for Creative Catchment Kids)
2016 National Landcare Awards Junior Landcare Team Award (for Creative Catchment Kids)

Creative Catchment Kids Books

The Creative Catchment Kids program is a special project at Wirraminna. It helps students write and illustrate their own books about environmental topics. This is a great way for kids to share what they learn and teach others!

Year Book Theme Link to Books
2011 An Aussie bush tale Read the books
2012 Biodiversity of the Murray catchment Read the books
2013 Catchment champions Read the books
2014 Local land heroes Read the books
2015 Local land heroes Read the books
2016 Our culture, our community Read the books

Read the books

2017 Our culture, our community; Murray wetlands Read the books

Read the books Read the books

2018 Landcare Read the books
2019 Landcare Read the books

Videos and Learning Materials

Wirraminna also creates many helpful videos and educational materials. These resources make learning about the environment fun and easy. They cover topics from local wildlife to the history of the land.

Series Name What you'll find Links to Videos
Dr Dave in Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands 8 videos and fact sheets Watch here
Dr Dave in the Murray Catchment 4 videos and fact sheets Watch here
Dr Dave in the Outback 13 videos and fact sheets Watch here
Corroboree Frogs Education kit Learn more
Water in the Murray Region 4 videos Watch here
Cultural Heritage of Lake Victoria 7 videos Watch here
Indigenous Culture in the Upper Murray 12 videos Watch here
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