on 09/03/2026
By Erica Bolto, Margaret Zimmermann and Deb Laver
Here at KICE, we are committed to nurturing our students' understanding of environmental change and empowering them to become active stewards of our planet. Our school is located in a unique environmental setting, which inspires us to create authentic learning experiences that are grounded in the realities of our changing environment. Here are some learning snapshots that highlight what’s happening at our school!
Erica Bolto – experienced specialist primary science teacher
Through science, our students investigate key topics such as climate change, biodiversity, habitat loss, and sustainable practices. One such key learning was where we appropriated the Year 3 chemical sciences topic: “Investigate the observable properties of solids and liquids, and how adding or removing heat energy causes a change of state.”
We examined this through the context of rising sea levels and how climate change could impact Kangaroo Island in the future.
Students engaged in climate change discussions, forming their own opinions based on evidence from child-friendly resources. Through hands-on experiments with solids, liquids, and gases, they investigated changes in state including what happens to water levels when ice melts. They then created and tested their own mini “sea walls” to protect our island. Through these activities students realised that science is not just theory but that their learnings are actually a reflection of the real world.
Margaret Zimmermann – early career secondary science teacher
Our Year 7-9 students participate in an elective subject called Envirotech. Envirotech weaves together curriculum content from Science, Digital Technologies and HASS (Geography). Students are currently working with a program called Delightex to create a 3D virtual tour of Kangaroo Island. The purpose of this tour is to showcase Kangaroo Island to other schools and to highlight environmental features and issues, particularly human impacts on our environment. We are planning to create a “pen pal” type exchange with another school to learn how others are using technologies to collect data and enhance our understanding of environmental issues.
In 2025, I was lucky enough to go on a SASTA trip to Nilpena in the Flinders Ranges. We got to experience first-hand the citizen science project that is occurring, discovering the Ediacaran fossils that are about 550 million years old. These fossils have shed light on the theory of evolution by connecting Earth’s early beginnings to when organisms began to exist and then move. The trip was empowering for me as a new teacher and it made teaching about the rock cycle in my Year 8 class so much more exciting. My enthusiasm naturally infiltrated to the students, who enjoyed the deeper understanding. It was a great way to illustrate how as scientists we think we know a topic, but then when new evidence is found, it changes the narrative and gives us a new perspective. My students enjoyed making plaster copies of Ediacaran fossils and trying to recreate a 3D image of what the fossils might have looked like as living organisms.
Deb Laver – Teacher and Landscapes Kangaroo Island Environmental Education Coordinator
Inspiring the next generation to become passionate, knowledgeable, and active stewards of our planet is more important than ever in this era of rapid environmental change. The Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) program, adapted from the highly regarded Murraylands Landscape Board, exemplifies this vision by providing KICE’s primary students with unique, hands-on experiences that highlight the powerful role young people can play in caring for our environment. Now in its second year on KI, the program has quickly gained traction, energising our school community and equipping students for a positive future by developing their leadership skills and resilience.
In 2025, YEL participants at KICE embraced a wide range of science-based projects.
- Protecting Native Wildlife: Students helped install fire bunkers, a practical measure aimed at safeguarding the threatened southern brown bandicoot and other native species during and after bushfires. This action not only protected wildlife but highlighted the devastating impacts of extreme events—such as bushfires—on biodiversity, and what can be done to mitigate them.
- Combating Feral Animals: Students learned about feral cat eradication, gaining insight into the technology and techniques used to protect native fauna. Understanding invasive species and their effects is essential science learning and sparks conversations about the delicate balance of our ecosystems.
- Sustainable Farming Futures: Students had the opportunity to draft their own sustainable property management plans for real working farms on the island. This allowed children to apply real-world science to agriculture—an important part of Kangaroo Island’s identity—and consider new practices that fit the reality of a changing environment.
- Exploring Underground Biodiversity: Heading beneath the surface at Kelly Hill Caves, students met Dr Jess Marsh and her research team and learned about cave invertebrates—a unique, hidden aspect of local biodiversity. Highlights included exploring the process of scientific discovery and having the opportunity to officially submit a name of a newly discovered cave spider!!! The pearl back spider is a hot contender. This experience connected them with scientists and giving them a peek into the front line of environmental research.
The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board takes great pride in seeing the YEL program not only embraced by our school but also celebrated by families and local leaders. It reminds us that even the youngest voices in our community can make an extraordinary difference. By nurturing environmental knowledge, leadership skills, and a passion for discovery, we are equipping our children not just to adapt to our changing planet, but to lead the way in caring for it.
Share:
