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FULL DAY PROGRAMS
Living in the extremes:
~ years
P-2
Investigate how wetland plants
and animals survive extreme conditions including drought.
Minibeasts:
~ years P-2
Examine the wonderful world of minibeasts, including wetland macroinvertebrates and compost critters.
A plant’s world:
~ years P-6
Be a plant detective and explore the
indigenous plant garden and vegetable patch. Propagate indigenous
seeds and cuttings in the glasshouse.
Bush food propagation:
~ years P-6
Explore the Ecolinc wetland
trail and investigate traditional aboriginal food, fibre and healing plants.
Collect seeds and propagate a range of bush foods.
Sustainable art:
~ years P-6
Use the Ecolinc sustainability and
wetland trails to create sustainable artworks.
Stormwater:
~ years 1-4
Explore the Ecolinc stormwater wetland and the
effects of pollution in an aquatic ecosystem.
Digging up the Diprotodon:
~ years 1-8
Follow Ecolinc’s
geological trail, learn about the discovery of the Diprotodon in Bacchus
Marsh and the world of the megafauna using casts of megafauna
trackways, and conduct a ‘dig’ to find your own fossil.
Fascinating frogs:
~ years 3-6
Take a walk around the Ecolinc
wetland to hear the frog chorus. Investigate the life cycle of frogs, habitat
requirements and identification calls.
Reduce, reuse, recycle:
~ years 3-8
Complete the Sustainability
Trail and investigate options for reducing, reusing and recycling.
What's growling in the wetland?
~ years 3-8
Sample the wetland trail and discover the diverse aquatic plants that live in this ecosystem.
Who eats who?
~ years 3-8
Explore the relationships between aquatic animals and plants in the wetland by sampling the wetland and determining ‘who eats who?’
Saving Energy:
~ years 4-6
Explore Ecolinc’s energy saving features on the Sustainability Trail. Use models to investigate how energy is used and the alternative options.
How clean is the wetland?
~ years 5-8
Conduct chemical testing and macroinvertebrate identification to determine the quality of the Ecolinc stormwater wetland.
Bright ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
~ years 7-8
Complete the Sustainability Trail and explore design features and alternative energy options to save energy. Investigate how greenhouse gases impact on the environment, and explore alternative fuel sources.
Classifying living things:
~ years 7-8
Examine the Ecolinc wetland ecosystem and classify aquatic/terrestrial plants and animals using a variety of keys. Optional extensions at Mt Rothwell* include quadrat sampling and an investigation of habitat and species interactions in a natural grassy woodland ecosystem, and/or a dusk walk to reveal a range of endangered nocturnal mammal species.
Plant propagation:
~ years 7-8
Propagate indigenous seeds and cuttings in the glasshouse and shade house.
What's under the microscope?
~ years 7-8
Explore the microscopic world of plants and animals.
Investigating frogs:
~ years 7-10
Discover methods for identifying frogs and assess frog habitat quality in the Ecolinc stormwater wetland and the Werribee River.
Bush foods:
~ years
7-10
Discover a range of bush foods in the Ecolinc
grassland/wetland. Investigate traditional aboriginal food, fibre and healing
plants and corresponding land management practices.
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Exploring Ecosystems:
~ years 7-10
Investigate a range of ‘grassy woodland’ plants and animals at Ecolinc followed by a visit to nearby Mt Rothwell* to investigate management strategies for a variety of endangered species. An optional dusk walk reveals a range of endangered nocturnal mammal species including eastern quolls, brush tailed rock wallabies and eastern barred bandicoots.
Investigating salinity and water quality issues:
~ years 7-10
Explore the Balliang and Werribee River areas to conduct field work investigating a range of land management issues, followed by interpretation activities at Ecolinc.
Stormwater trail:
~ years 7-10
Explore the Moorabool Shire Council stormwater trail along the Werribee River. Investigate how stormwater travels into the river and the Ecolinc stormwater wetland. Determine potential effects on living things and possible management strategies to reduce stormwater pollution. Examine the Ecolinc wetland’s ability to clean stormwater by conducting various chemical and biological tests.
Watching the weatherwall:
~ years 7-10
Explore Ecolinc’s CSIRO designed weatherwall. Record your own weather measurements and examine past data to investigate climate change.
Capturing cells:
~ years 9-10
Investigate cell structure and function using organisms from the Ecolinc stormwater wetland. Explore mitosis and meiosis.
Discovering diatoms:
~ years 9-10
Discover the world of diatoms in the Ecolinc stormwater wetland. Use keys to distinguish between diatoms and investigate their unique functions.
Environmental indicators:
~ years 9-10
Use chemical and biological indicators to determine the quality of the Ecolinc stormwater wetland. Compare with a range of other water samples.
Extracting plant DNA:
~ years 9-10
Explore plant DNA extraction.
Extracting plant pigments:
~ years 9-10
Use thin layer chromatography to separate and identify a variety of plant pigments.
Grassland ecology
~ years 9-10
Use survey techniques including transects and quadrats to assess habitat quality, species abundance and diversity in the Ecolinc grassland. Investigate relationships and interactions between the abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. An opportunity to survey a natural grassland at nearby Mt Rothwell* may be included as an option. Terms 1 and 4 are recommended for this program.
How real is climate change?
~ years 9-10
Investigate climate change issues by exploring Ecolinc’s ecologically sustainably designed (ESD) facility and alternative energy sources. Calculate annual green-house gas emissions and discuss strategies for reducing our impact on the environment.
Managing Ecosystems:
~ years 9-10
Use habitat surveys to determine the effectiveness of management strategies along a section of the Werribee River. Travel to Mt Rothwell* to examine a grassy woodland habitat and management strategies currently in place. An optional dusk walk reveals a range of endangered nocturnal mammal species.
Plant propagation techniques:
~ years 9-10
Discover how the Wollemi Pine was discovered and propagated using plant tissue culture techniques in the laboratory. Compare with traditional plant propagation methods.
Soil chemistry:
~ years 9-10
Explore the Ecolinc geological trail and measure a number of soil properties including colour, dispersion, texture, pH and electrical conductivity to distinguish a range of soil types.
Wetland energy transfer:
~ years 9-10
Sample the wetland for organisms, construct food chains, classify organisms into trophic levels and examine the flow of energy in the wetland
Contact Ecolinc for further details and bookings
ecolinc@edumail.vic.gov.au
T: 03 5367 0171
F: 03 5367 0174
17-23 Labilliere Street, Bacchus Marsh VIC 3340
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