At Somers School Camp children participate in an exciting Environmental Studies program that encourages awareness, understanding and knowledge of the world around them.  This program includes exploring a variety of habitats such as the beach, wetlands and woodlands. It also enables children to learn about, handle and care for a variety of animals.

Sustainability and care and respect for our natural environment are underlying principles which are woven into our program.

We encourage the children to ‘live’ the program by being active, hands on partners in the care of animals and the local environment. 

OUR CENTRE

Somers Camp has a dynamic and engaging environmental studies centre that features a large building with two learning areas, a marine room with tanks and displays, and a viewing tower. 

Children can spend lots of time discovering and learning in the Environmental Studies Centre. The displays are a particular favourite, as well as the aquarium, rock pool tank, beach collection, bones and skulls, mounted animals, microscopes and library.

Outside you will be able to visit a barn with many animals. Have you ever looked inside a beehive or cared for a guinea pig? There’s also a possum house, a  frog and turtle pond and some enclosures for Gizmo and Galaxy – two friendly goats. We have a fantastic aviary with many different birds to feed and some to handle.

OUR PROGRAM

Environmental Studies at Somers Camp is always popular. It is based around principles of sustainability and educating children to care for the environment.

A big component of the program is getting out into the local environment with walks along the shore of Westernport Bay and into Coolart Wetlands and Homestead - an historic property and nature reserve.

Children can explore rock pools and beachcomb through the piles of sea grass washed up on the beach. Many a unique discovery has been made by observant students – maybe you will find a shark egg just like the one that contained Conrad, our 10 year old Port Jackson Shark. We will take binoculars to Coolart and keep an eye out for some fascinating bird species. Maybe you will see an Ibis, a Tawny Frogmouth or our camp faunal emblem, the Common Tern. 

SUSTAINABILITY

During the stay at Somers Camp, children are encouraged to live sustainably. They are active members of our sustainable community, living and learning about our efforts to:

Save ENERGY

Reduce WASTE

Capture and Conserve WATER

and Demonstrate BIO-DIVERSITY.

There is an opportunity to get "hands on" with the regeneration of the landscape that our community has been involved in – 

FORESHORE preservation

COASTAL WOODLAND replanting and weeding

VEGETABLE and HERB GARDENS and our new ORCHARD

Major projects over the last few years have been:

Installation of several water tanks and water harvesting systems.

Solar hot water to student accommodation units.

Frog Pond and Turtle Pit.

Worm waste system.

There are many more projects at different stages and students will contribute greatly and learn a lot during their stay at camp. 

WEB LINKS

Gould League - www.gould.edu.au

Melbourne Zoo – www.zoo.org.au

Department of Natural Resources and Environment – www.nre.vic.gov.au

Coolart Homestead –  www.parkweb.vic.gov.au

Aussie Vic ( Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative Victoria) -  www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au