Compost Creators

Students will learn how to set up and maintain a compost, what items can be composted, and about the various creatures who live in the compost.

What happens?

  • An interactive compost demonstration
  • Learn how to keep a school compost working smoothly
  • Demonstration of weighing food scraps to calculate the weight of waste diverted from landfill
  • Learn how to record the difference in volume of products added, compared to the end product of compost created
  • Fun interactive game to summarise learning

Curriculum links

Themes: Mathematics, sustainability, waste

  • ST1-9ES: Identifies ways that people use science in their daily lives to care for the environment and the Earth’s resources
  • ST1-10LW: describes external features, changes in and growth of living things
  • ST1-11LW: describes ways that different places in the environment provide for the needs of living things
  • ST1-2VA: demonstrates a willingness to engage responsibly with local, national and global issues relevant to their lives, and to shaping sustainable futures
  • MA1‑1WM: describes mathematical situations and methods using everyday and some mathematical language, actions, materials, diagrams and symbols
  • MA1‑11MG: measures, records, compares and estimates volumes and capacities using uniform informal units
  • ST2-10LW: describes that living things have life cycles, can be distinguished from non-living things and grouped, based on their observable features
  • ST2-11LW: describes ways that science knowledge helps people understand the effect of their actions on the environment and on the survival of living things
  • ST2-2VA: demonstrates a willingness to engage responsibly with local, national and global issues relevant to their lives, and to shaping sustainable futures.
  • ST2-1WS-S: questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations
  • (ACSIS060, ACSIS071): represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings, using formal and informal representations
  • MA2‑1WM: uses appropriate terminology to describe, and symbols to represent, mathematical ideas
  • MA2‑3WM: checks the accuracy of a statement and explains the reasoning used
  • MA2‑12MG: measures, records, compares and estimates the masses of objects using kilograms and grams
  • ST3-1WS-S: plans and conducts scientific investigations to answer testable questions, and collects and summarises data to communicate conclusions
  • ST3-2DP-T: plans and uses materials, tools and equipment to develop solutions for a need or opportunity
  • ST3-4LW-S: examines how the environment affects the growth, survival and adaptation of living things
  • ST3-5LW-T: explains how food and fibre are produced sustainably in managed environments for health and nutrition

Booking information

Minimum students: 15

Maximum group size: no more than two groups of 30 students per day

Please note: no education bookings are available on Fridays.

Class size will be limited for certain activities ​due to safety considerations and staffing resources.

Please book at least two months before your visit.

Use the button on this page to request an excursion booking, or call us during business hours on (02) 4227 7667.

If your request is accepted, we'll send you a booking confirmation letter, risk assessment, garden map and instructions for your visit (including wet weather plan).

Excursion cost is $14 (incl. GST) per student per day, and includes two activities. Carers and teachers are free.

In line with new Education Department policy, we are requesting the pre-payment of your attendance by credit card. This will be emailed to you as soon as we have confirmed your education date and you have confirmed your numbers. (Please note we cannot amend numbers after an invoice has been generated).

If payment before attendance is not possible you will be required to send us a PO number so we can send the invoice to EDConnect, to be paid prior to attendance.

Once your payment is made we will issue a confirmation, along with Council risk assessments covering safety for garden excursions.

Please meet at the Discovery Centre, located at the north eastern corner of Wollongong Botanic Garden.

Buses can drop students off at either the bus bay located at the University of Wollongong on Northfields Avenue or at our Murphys Avenue car park.

If your activity is being held at one of the Garden Annexes, such as Mount Keira or Puckeys Estate, please meet at the designated located specified on your booking confirmation.

We have a minimal waste policy and ask that packaging of food items brought to the Garden are minimised​​​​​.

Most activities can still go ahead in light rain. In this case, please make sure students, teachers and accompanying parents wear appropriate wet weather clothes and shoes.

Our activities may need to be cancelled in heavy rain or high winds.

Please call us on the excursion day to confirm whether the program can continue or if your excursion needs to be rescheduled.