Our Power, Our Planet: Earth Day Expo inspires our future generation

On Thursday 30 April the Canning River Eco Education Centre (CREEC) partnered with the Australian Association for Environmental Education WA Chapter (AAEEWA) to host the annual Earth Day Expo for primary school students.

Now in its fifteenth year, the Expo welcomed approximately 290 primary school students from across the Perth metropolitan area, who gathered on the banks of the Canning River at Kent Street Weir in Wilson, to celebrate the natural environment.

The all-day event provided students with the opportunity to learn about biodiversity, wildlife conservation, waste reduction, and Noongar culture, in a fun and interactive way.

The Expo featured a wide range of sustainability-themed activities, including demonstrations and hands-on workshops such as bird watching, waste sorting and investigating artificial reefs, each designed to inform, educate and inspire students to think about environmental issues that affect the planet.

This year the City also received a grant from Government of Western Australia and the Waste Authority, which enabled participants to take part in a Tawashi cloth-making activity. Students enjoyed transforming old clothing into something new and useful.

City of Canning Mayor Patrick Hall is proud to host students from around Perth, giving them the opportunity to experience the fantastic facilities at CREEC and to learn more about sustainability.

“The Expo is about inspiring the next generation to create a greener, more prosperous future for us all. This year’s theme Our Power, Our Planet, challenged students to consider the impact they have on the environment and the steps they can take to protect it.

“It empowers young people to think creatively and critically about how to generate sustainable change both at home and at school,” said Mayor Hall.

As the only Western Australian member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, the City of Canning champions lifelong and life-wide learning, creating opportunities for people of all ages to learn at school, at home, at work and in the community.

Earth Day is celebrated around the world in more than 190 countries on 22 April. The Expo is part of an international Earth Day Network initiative.