The day began with a Mass at St Michael’s Church Booragul where Fr Brian Brock spoke of the need to look after the earth and each other.

After a safety briefing, students and teachers planted native shrubs and trees in the gardens of the Church, which are maintained by volunteers. The plants were provided by Lake Macquarie Council Landcare and gardening equipment was donated by Bunnings at Glendale.

Students also completed a cleanup of the area around beautiful Booragul. As a lakeside suburb, Booragul is affected by litter that enters Lake Macquarie, and students took pride in having a positive impact on the ecosystem of the lake.

Over the course of the day, the students collected over 60 kilograms of plastic and other litter. Lake Macquarie Council provided equipment for the cleanup as part of their ‘Eco Angel’ program.

The purpose of the day was to develop a sense of camaraderie among the students and to give each student a chance to contribute to a community volunteering project. All students felt a sense of achievement and satisfaction after a hard day’s work.

Year Coordinator, Mr Colin Mulhearn, commented, “It was great to see the way the students engaged with the activities. They saw value in what they were doing and recognised it was a way to contribute to their school community as well as the local community.

“It is only one day and a small contribution, however, these students will hopefully build on their understanding of the importance to serve and contribute to their community.”

To find out more about St Paul's, visit their website. 

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