Galen Catholic College year 11 and 12 Outdoor and Environmental Studies VCE classes recently spent a few days down at the coast on Phillip Island. During the trip, students had the opportunity to learn about coastal areas with Parks Victoria and how to surf and snorkel.

Students conducted rockpool investigations and sampled wild edibles during the Parks Victoria Rhyll Wetlands Talk while also learning about the impact of tourism upon the environment. All students enjoyed the hands-on learning experience, which links directly to their VCE curriculum in the classroom.

The following comments were written by students who attended the trip in a reflection task:

‘It was really interesting learning about the coastal areas and how much they differ from the area we live in. The environment there is quite diverse and changes in a matter of meters.’

‘The surfing was the best part of the entire trip.’

‘Learning about how the Sheer Water Birds migrate from the north and watching hundreds of them flying over the beach with the sunset was incredible.’

‘The Rhyll Wetlands talk was educational and tasty, with wild edibles.’

‘Everything about the camp was really fun and interactive especially surfing and spending time with all the boys and girls that went on the camp.’