RISING levels of “eco-anxiety” are being weeded out amongst kids at Richmond Primary School with the seeds of a mini native forest being sown.
On Wednesday, Richmond Primary School started planting a “Miyawaki” forest with the Town of East Fremantle and Murdoch University.
Backed by a $17,700 contribution from the Town, the project uses a Japanese planting method designed to create dense, fast-growing patches of native vegetation in small spaces.
The project aims not only to teach children about the environment but also to help ease the effects of eco-anxiety, a term used to describe chronic fear, worry or stress related to environmental degradation and climate change – which research suggests is becoming increasingly common among children.
But recent research has found nature-based environmental programs can help young people feel more capable of taking positive climate action and build stronger connections with the natural world.
• Edward Richardson and Millie Cherry are helping to bring to life East Fremantle’s first Miyawaki forest. Photo by Isla Tomlinson
Miyawaki Forest Program lead and Murdoch University research fellow Grey Coupland said initiatives like Richmond’s Miyawaki forest give children hands-on experience with nature and help them feel more able to act on environmental issues in an increasingly technological world.
“Nowadays there’s lots of kids who suffer from eco-anxiety because they don’t feel they have much opportunity to take active climate or environmental action.
“There’s also kids at the other end of the spectrum who are completely disengaged with nature.
“Planting a forest is a great opportunity because it helps kids who are suffering from eco-anxiety to take tangible environmental action and it helps reconnect the other kids with nature so they actually feel a bond,” Dr Coupland said.
Dr Coupland was the first person to bring the Miyawaki method to Western Australia and said the school program involves adapting the Japanese technique to be friendly to the replantation of native Australian bush, plants and soil.
“All the plants that are part of Richmond Forest are what would have been growing on the site before the site was cleared to make the school, so they’re very specifically locally native,” Dr Coupland said.
This project marks Dr Coupland’s 25th Miyawaki forest.
• Richmond Primary’s Miyawaki wonders. Photo by Isla Tomlinson
Murdoch PHD candidate Ines Zevallos, who has been accompanying Dr Coupland’s program, has also been investigating the impact of climate action on children’s well-being and mental health.
Through interviewing both teachers and children, Ms Zevallos has found children are very much aware of climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
“It is alarming to them, but at the same time, some of the teachers do say these programs provide a little bit of hope, whilst doing something as a team, engaging with other peers and potentially other schools,” Ms Zevallos said.
Richmond PS year 6 students and school ministers for health safety and sustainability Edward Richardson and Millie Cherry were the first in the school to take plant to soil.
“I think this is a great project and it really supports environmental initiatives that the school and the Town of East Fremantle has for making the environment cooler,” Edward said.
“I think climate change has a mental toll because if you are walking through concrete and bricks in an industrial area – you can’t find the green in life.
“When you find green – it just makes you happy,” Edward said.
Millie added that she was excited to see how the plants would grow and what animals would call the place home.
by ISLA TOMLINSON