Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay’s Custodians of the Ocean school education program is making a splash
BY ALEX DRISCOLL
Bongin Bongin Bay, located at Basin Beach in Mona Vale, is one of the Northern Beaches most picturesque stretches of water. A pristine location for swimming and a haven for local wildlife, it has for a while now been the goal of the local organisation, Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay, to have the site designated as a marine conservation zone.
“We are seeking to have Bongin Bongin Bay declared an aquatic marine sanctuary by the end of 2027. And the first part of that program was community engagement,” says Greg Price, president of the organisation.
As part of that community engagement, the group has been running a pilot education program called Custodians of the Ocean at St Luke’s Primary School in Bayview. Program leader and Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay member Beata Edling has helped to bring this pilot together. “We thought ‘why don’t we approach a school and maybe have conversations about running a program?’” Beata says.
In her search for a government educational program addressing the importance of the oceans in the global environment, Beata discovered that there was already one available, developed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries regional development group, which had been ‘unsuccessfully implemented.’
“So we approached them to have a look at the materials. They are free to use online by educators and schools, and they said yes,” Beata adds.
After reviewing the materials, Beata contacted Pia Dorer at Studio Oi about how these materials could be enhanced and delivered to students.
“We were really focused on the accessibility of the content,” Pia explained. “So we used a framework called the VORK model, which is V for visual, A for oral, R for reading and K for kinaesthetic.”
Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay FB
The Custodians of the Ocean launch
This enhanced model, which is now being delivered in St Luke’s Primary School for Year 1, Year 3 and Year 5 students, is already yielding positive results. The engaging, interactive program also brings in young locals who are making a difference for the ocean, such as youth ambassador Abbey Clark, and Freshwater High graduate and filmmaker Lara Gribbin.
Despite its infancy, Custodians of the Ocean is already gaining recognition, with Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby commending its success.
“That came as a huge, delightful surprise to us,” Greg stated. “Being early days in this program and to have it mentioned in State Parliament was a true credit to Beata and Pia, who put it all together.”