Students from Clarence High School’s Social Justice and Sustainability class have hit the ground running this year, taking meaningful action for the planet and their local community.
Clarence students are climate champions
In March, students attended the Tasmanian Youth Climate Leaders Forum, held as part of Sustainable Living Tasmania’s Big Day of Circular Living Ideas. With beloved ABC personality Costa Georgiadis and environmental advocate Craig Reucassel as special guests, the forum provided a space for young people to share ideas and shape plans for sustainability projects in their schools and neighbourhoods.
One of the standout projects students are currently developing is a ‘pocket forest’ — a densely planted patch of native shrubs, grasses and groundcovers that will grow alongside a school sports field. The goal is to create a thriving habitat for local wildlife, including small animals and pollinating insects. They have also produced a short film, “Pocket Forest”, about the project.
Class teacher Olivia Hanson said “It’s been amazing for me to see my students step up and be the young leaders that they know that they are and to get involved in this project. Our pocket forest is a legacy that our students will be able to look back on and be really proud of the work they’ve done.”
“It makes me feel really happy and proud. I’ve always been passionate about the environment and this has been a way for me to express that with my friends and teachers. I’m really grateful to have had this experience and opportunity at school” said one student, Linn.
As part of their learning, students visited Nipaluna Nursery, a community-run Landcare nursery based in New Town. Staffed entirely by volunteers, the nursery collects seeds and propagates native plants for use in revegetation and biodiversity projects across lutruwita / Tasmania.
The Nipaluna team, affectionately known as “the Nipaloonies,” hold regular volunteer sessions, share lunches, and run workshops on native plant propagation, edible bush foods, and biodiversity. Over the past three years, they’ve supplied more than 50,000 native plants to farmers in the Midlands Biodiversity Hotspot.
Adding to their growing list of achievements, Clarence High School is proud to be the only Tasmanian school involved in a national documentary — the Power of Activism — highlighting student-led sustainability initiatives, which screened recently at the school along with Pocket Forest.
For their inspiring efforts, Clarence High School has been named this month’s Climate Champions by local group Clarence Climate Action.
Eastern Shore Sun, July 2025, page 3