By Tyler Wright
Macclesfield Primary School students and staff are raising awareness of a local critically endangered species with a new whole-school mural project.
Artist and education support staff member Charmaine Kvalic will paint an image of a Helmeted Honeyeater on a three by four metre wall at the front of the school alongside interested students.
“We’ve had a pretty long standing association with [Friends of] the Helmeted Honeyeater, and the mural is a connection to sense of place,” Ms Kvalic said.
Currently working on a replica to scale on paper, Ms Kvalic said students will be able to help paint on the wall from Term Three.
“That cartoon is on materials that I found around the school…It’s painted on cartridge paper with poster paint,” Ms Kvalic said.
“We also have kids that apply to be ambassadors with the Friends of the [Helmeted] Honeyeater. helping with planting and growing plants and general cleanup of the area…following the creek bed along from Yellingbo up to Macclesfield.
“It also helps with their knowledge of conservation and environment, and if we do this, hopefully the birds will come this way.”
Wild Helmeted Honeyeaters are found in Yellingbo’s Liwik Barring Landscape Conservation Area, with 20 born in captivity at Healesville Sanctuary recently released into the Yarra Ranges National Park as part of a conversation program.
The total population of Helmeted Honeyeaters at census date of 1 March 2022 was estimated at 168 individuals, with only three small, semi-wild populations established in streamside swamp forest to the east of Melbourne.
Conservation efforts for the animal through the Victorian Government’s Faunal Emblems Program, are being delivered in partnership with Zoos Victoria, Parks Victoria, Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater (FOHH), Melbourne Water, Monash University, University of Melbourne, Yarra Ranges Shire Council, Cardinia City Council, Greening Australia, Trust for Nature and the continued contributions of volunteers.
FOHH co-president Virginia Wallace said the project at Macclesfield Primary School shows the “passion that the local community has for saving their unique wildlife”.
“As an organisation, we do work very closely with the local schools because we believe that educating young people in some of the issues that are faced by our wild and native environment and our natural environment is very important if we want to look after it for the future,” Ms Wallace said.
“They’ll have a good understanding from a young age and they’ll be able to take their passion with them through their life.
“They’ll talk to other people about it, because that’s when people get on board.”
Not a mural painter, Ms Kvalic said the art project is also helping her – as well as students – step outside their comfort zone.
“My background is in art and art therapy, so I use a lot of art and art based projects as a connection with the children,” she said.
“I’ve got a small studio set up down the back in the Enviro Centre. If someone’s feeling a bit ‘bleh’ they might come and find me and we’ll go and do a little bit of painting.
“It’s a nice way for me to connect with the children…and, of course, when you’re doing something as big as this, everyone wants to have a look and everyone wants to have a go.”
