Activity 1

Where is the Cumberland Plain Woodland located in the Sydney Basin?

The Cumberland Plain Woodland is an ecological community restricted to New South Wales, specifically the area in and around Western Sydney. Prior to European settlement, the Cumberland Plain Woodland was the most common type of native vegetation in the area that is now occupied by towns such as Blacktown, Campbelltown, Camden, Fairfield, Greystanes, Liverpool, Penrith, Richmond and Windsor.

The Cumberland Plain Woodland was the first Endangered Ecological Community listed under Commonwealth legislation and is now listed as a Critically Endangered Ecological Community by both New South Wales and Commonwealth Governments. It is estimated that only around 6% of the original woodland remains in small fragmented patches across the Cumberland Plain.

Cumberland Plain Woodland information

The above sign was created for Beresford Road Public School's remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland within their school grounds.

Activity 3

What is the condition of the habitat?

When students are able to return to school, print a copy of the above habitat assessment sheet and work through the questions to result in a habitat assessment number.

If you are unable to visit the site due to Covid Lockdowns, use Google Maps Streetview to visit the site virtually.

What elements of the habitat assessment are missing from the woodland?

What can be done to improve the habitat value of the remnant woodland near your school?

Does it have things like logs etc scattered on the ground?

Does it have all of the vegetation layers present?

Are there any nesting hollows?

Either print a copy of your base map or use the screen shot to create a map of your school grounds.

Don't forget to add mapping conventions BOLTSS

• Boarder,

• Orientation,

• Legend,

• Title,

• Scale,

• Source,

to complete your school map.

Activity 7

• Use symbols and create a key to include the following features on the map:

classrooms, play areas,

trees, gardens,

outdoor learning/seating areas,

grassed areas,

and any other areas in the school grounds.

With permission and supervision from an adult, go outside in the playground, park or backyard and see if you can find small rocks or ochres, like those in the story. Round pebbles will not work for this activity.

Rub them on a hard or concrete surface to create a coloured powder. Then add water to create natural paint.

Activity 8

Use ochre pain to create a painting of your remnant woodland in your school grounds or nearby.