How do you make a garden into a habitat? Just ask the Melton Girl Guides! These Girl Guides are getting involved at their local Botanic Garden thanks to a Landcare Australia grant.
The Melton Girl Guides are putting their green thumbs to good use in a new project along the walking track at the Melton Botanic Garden. The goal is to make the space into a wonderful habitat for wildlife. Along the way, the Girl Guides will get to learn about indigenous plants and how to care for the environment. 
The Girl Guides have regular excursions to the Melton Botanic Garden to experience educational activities, where they learn about the frogs, birds, and insects that live in the local area. The project area will be replanted with indigenous vegetation including shrubs, herbs, grasses, grey box, and acacias. This native vegetation will provide a wonderful habitat for local wildlife!
These activities are a great way to expose students to the natural world. “I like going to the Botanic Garden because I get to see plants I wouldn’t normally see in other places and that something is always blooming or different when I am there,” said one seven year-old Girl Guide.
The project is a community partnership with the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden. The groups host regular Grow the Garden days and events where the public and Melton Girl Guides have the opportunity to help.
“I enjoy our meetings at the Botanic Garden, being surrounded by the variety of plants. I like that we got the grant so that we can put more plants in the ground for people to enjoy,” said an eight year-old Melton Girl Guide.
The volunteers enjoy supporting the Girl Guides with their efforts at the Melton Botanic Garden and are encouraging interest in the environment. The Girl Guide volunteers are working on this project as part of the Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant.
Connect with the Melton Girl Guides here.
