At a little school tucked away in the foothills of Mt Chincogan in the Byron Shire of New South Wales every day feels like Earth Day!
For Hinterland Christian College, environmental stewardship is a huge passion and a daily part of the student experience.
We are called to be good stewards of our precious world and each of the students at Hinterland, from K-10, is playing a part.
The year 3 and 4 classes are responsible for the school rabbits. They learn how to feed and water them, clean up after them and change their straw bedding, as well as handling them with love and caring for their health, including the upkeep of their fur, and teeth.
The year 5 and 6 classes care for Gigi and Perri - a breeding pair of budgies. They feed and water them and make sure they have fresh greenery to live and hide in. Students are responsible to remember their worming medications, and it is also their job to let Mrs Grinham know of any of special care needs such as nails or wings that need trimming.
The year 7 and 8 classes plant out and cultivate edible gardens for use in their technology classes. They collect any organic scraps left from student lunches and turn them into rich compost, which is then dug into the gardens, helping to produce delicious vegetables.
The food technology students in year 9 and 10 are budding chefs and they have the privilege of creating and cooking meals in the school kitchen, using some of the freshest produce – straight from the veggie garden on school grounds. They are then kind enough to share their culinary masterpieces with other year groups so that the whole school gets to enjoy the fruits of their labours.
Hinterland has also developed a successful Agricultural program, helping students to understand and appreciate regional or farming life. Breeding dwarf Boer goats is a big responsibility, but the students love it – even when they know that they might be called on any time of day or night because a new baby kid is on the way and they are needed at the paddock! The goats are bred every 2 years, with the school keeping a some and selling the others, helping to keep their breeding stock young and fresh. Under the guidance of a local vet, the students learn all about animal husbandry, as well as caring for the paddocks. They build awareness of what constitutes a good paddock, learn about paddock rotations and how to keep them up to standard as well as watering, feeding and moving the stock. They also need to let Mrs Grinham know when the goats’ hooves need trimming – she is a brave Principal!
As well as the farm animals, Hinterland is also home to gorgeous Fern, the School Labrador. Of course, she does an excellent job at loving everyone, but Fern is especially good at helping to calming those students who experience anxiety and school refusal.
It is not just the animals that are cared for at Hinterland – the whole environment is incorporated into the program. The half hectare wet-dry billabong on the 3.2-hectare site has been loving tended over the last 10 years and turned from a noxious weed site into a beautiful native habitat. The school has planted over 2000 native species of trees, bushes and grasses which has helped to bring back many local frog species. For the wider community, the billabong has even played host to local university students who came to Hinterland to conduct their environmental studies.
Whenever there are new plans for gardens whether it be a revamp or completely new landscaping, the students are involved in the design and practical steps for bringing it to life. This involvement at every step helps the students to take pride in their school and also contributes to the legacy they leave for future students.
For many years, Hinterland has contributed to National Tree Day, but 2025 was a special year, as the school celebrated its 40th anniversary and the students and families planted out a new crepe myrtle grove on National Tree Day.
The driving force behind this work is not just Principal Karlene Grinham, who has been at Hinterland for over 30 years, but a collective effort of the whole leadership team. Over the past ten years the team has worked with passion and dedication to grow the environmental stewardship of the school and the animal husbandry program.
Principal Grinham and the other staff love to inspire kids how to care for God’s remarkable planet, which has led to a very high level of stewardship in students. One of the impacts that stands out, is there is never rubbish left around the school site. Because the students are so conscious of caring for their animals and native species, they are excellent at making sure there is no rubbish in their environment that could lead to harm. And as a part of their “Village Work”, the students have become the leaders teaching others and making sure the waste, recycling and compost bins are being used well.
One of the other benefits of the school’s program, is that is has become a huge help to get anxious students past some fears and school refusal. They know that “their animals” need them – even if it is just for a cuddle or some attention. Kids who are overwhelmed during class time can have permission to have time to go out and be with animals to them help regulate.
This is education that goes far beyond textbooks - students are discovering how to be faithful stewards of the world God has entrusted to them. They are learning practical skills in farming, sustainability, and technology - skills that will equip them to make a positive impact on the world into the future, whilst honouring God’s creation.
Hinterland believes that nurturing curiosity, responsibility, and faith together, prepares their students to be thoughtful leaders, innovators, and caretakers of the earth, and we couldn’t agree more. We are proud to honour the work at Hinterland and to see hearts and minds growing as they learn to steward God’s creation with wisdom and compassion.