Hawkesbury Nepean Landcare Network is working closely with Cattai Hills Environment Network to encourage our local schools to get involved with caring for our local waterways. Here is the HNL 2026 Wetland Challenge EOIV1 for any school to register to join the 2026 Schools Wetland Challenge.

Congratulations to Lorien Novalis, our winner of the 2025 Schools Wetland Challenge, caring for their wetland on Dooral Dooral Creek.

Read our case study on the 2025 Challenge Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network Putting wetlands on the school radar! Case Study, we are getting ready for the 2026 Challenge 

Local Landcare Coordinator Monique Bailey, has lots of ideas for schools to explore as they undertake the challenge. 

• Knowing your wetland: Research, connecting with local groups

(including activities of your choice such as, but not limited too: online research, looking at wetlands history, visiting a wetland, reaching out to local community or Landcare groups, brainstorming what do we know about our local wetland, doing artwork representative of your current understanding of a wetland, watch wetland videos, trip to the library to see what resources you have about wetlands to support your investigations.)

• Supporting your Wetland: Citizen science, Landcare activities, Education

(including activities of your choice such as, but not limited to: Go to a wetland or dam to observe, participating in insect or bird counting to survey what animals and plants are present, reach out to your Local Landcare Coordinator to conduct a basic water test or participate in water bug identification using dip nets and magnifying glasses, etc)

• Sharing your story: within your school and wider community

(including activities of your choice such as, but not limited to: artwork that depicts what you have learnt since your wetland investigations, draw posters or write a short story of what you learnt and present at school assembly, make a short video about what you’ve been doing to investigate the wetland, do a collaborative painting where each student paints one animal or plant to add to the wetland painting, use clay to create wetland bird sculptures, prepare to present your wetland story on June 5th, etc).

An afternoon all about wetlands in the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment, join us as we learn about, celebrate and support our local wetlands!

Hawkesbury Nepean Wetlands Forum 2026!

When: September 4th from 2:00pm - 5:00pm

Where: H6 at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus

Who: School students and staff, parents, volunteers, interested community members

The Hawkesbury Nepean Wetlands Forum is an event for all to learn about, celebrate and discuss wetlands. During this event the HNL Schools Wetlands Challenge "wetland of the year" and school awards are announced for 2026.

Hawkesbury Nepean Landcare (HNL) is caring for Dyarubbin and is working with our four local government green teacher networks: Penrith & Hawkesbury City Council's Environmental Education network (PHEEN), The Hills Shire Council's School's Green Network (SGN) and Blacktown City Council's Sustainable Schools Network (SSN) to hold the 2026 HNL Schools Wetland Challenge Forum. Schools within the Hawkesbury Nepean catchment adopted a wetland in their LGA to investigate why their local wetland should be HNL Wetland of the Year.

Definition of Wetland “Land areas that are saturated or flooded with water either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, lakes, rivers, floodplains, peatlands and swamps, Saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons and coral reefs and human-made wetlands: Fish/frog ponds, ect".

HNL Schools Wetlands Challenge Criteria:

• Knowing your Wetland – Research, connecting with local groups

• Supporting your Wetland – Citizen Science – Landcare activities - Education

• Sharing your Story – within your school and wider community

Registered schools will be presenting their case through different forms (presentation, video, and so on).

Local councils, volunteers and community groups will be conducting educational sessions for participants on wetlands, litter prevention and conservation programs.

The judges will award the schools third, second and first place "2026 wetland of the year".

Provided: Afternoon tea, tea and coffee.

To bring: if you are a school student or teacher presenting your efforts, please bring your work (video, poster, USB for presentation, whatever it may be that you have worked on). If you are a regular attendee, there is no need to bring anything but yourself!

Register for a free ticket here.