Published on Thursday, 3 September 2026 at 2:00:00 PM
A very chilly start to the day in late July didn't stop the students of Salmon Gums Primary School from heading out to help restore a local Reserve east of the townsite.
Thirteen students, from Pre-Primary through to Year 6, joined the Shire's Environmental Services team for a morning of planting native seedlings at a site needing rehabilitation. Believed to be a former sand extraction area when Salmon Gums was administered by the Shire of Dundas many years ago, the reserve had been ripped and prepared to improve growing conditions. The seedlings were grown by a local business from seeds collected by the Shire's Environmental Services team from the same reserve last winter, with this year's planting already in mind.
The students worked enthusiastically to get the plants in the ground while learning about the important role native vegetation plays in protecting and restoring the environment. Planting days like this give young people a valuable opportunity to connect with nature, learn how degraded areas can be restored, and see firsthand how their efforts can make a lasting difference to the landscape.
The Shire's Environmental Services team works year-round to care for, preserve and enhance natural habitats across the region. Through seasonal revegetation and habitat restoration programs, the team helps improve biodiversity, combat land degradation, and protect the natural areas that are such an important part of the Esperance region.
This winter, with assistance from Esperance Tjaltjraak, South Coast NRM and Wongatha CAPS, the team has already carried out planting projects at Dalyup Pioneer Reserve, Dempster Head, Lake Monjingup, De Grussa Road in the Gibson area, and Nine Mile and Ten Mile Beaches. All winter planting activities are expected to be completed by mid-August.
For the Salmon Gums students, the cold morning was a small price to pay for the chance to contribute to a project that will benefit the local environment for years to come. As the seedlings grow, so too will the students' connection to the landscape they helped restore.
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