Baldivis Primary School

City of Rockingham

BHP Billiton Nickel West

Landcare Australia

Alcoa

Baldivis and Singleton Volunteer Fire Brigade

The Baldivis Community Association Inc

National Resource Management Caring for Our Country

Baldivis Primary School students inspired the Baldivis Children's Forest project in 2000. The school remains a major partner of the forest project, providing extensive volunteer hours, expertise and administrative support. The school first opened in 1924, and today caters for approximately 380 students from kindergarten to year 7. In recent years the school has lead the community in valuing its unique bushland surrounds. The establishment of a tuart tree walk in nearby Settler’s Hills estate; Cooloongar Biddi walk trail and a frog pond at the school; and the forest project are all an integral part of the school’s curriculum.

The Baldivis Children's Forest site is a ‘C’ Class Reserve (#30269) vested with the City of Rockingham for the purpose of ‘Communication, Conservation and Educational purposes’. The City partnered with Green Skills Inc. and Baldivis Primary School in 2000 to begin planting at the reserve funded by an Alcoa 'Wetlands, Rivers & Habitats' grant. The City has continued to support the revegetation program and development of the BCF project. The City undertook an extensive capital works program at BCF from 2005-2007, including an outdoor classroom, amphitheatre and toilets. A City of Rockingham Green Corps team completed walk trails and irrigation installation in 2008.

BHP Billiton Nickel West is the world's third largest producer of nickel in concentrate, with one of it’s concentrators located at nearby Kwinana refinery. BHP Billiton have been our major sponsor since 2006, enabling us to run annual subsidised school activity days. During 2008 20 subsidised activity days were held with more than 1,200 students, 94 teachers and 141 parent volunteers attending. Students ranged in age from kindergarten to year 9 participating in activities from all learning areas of the curriculum. BHP Billiton fund prizes to each school finalist of the annual Baldivis Children's Forest Environment award. Their sponsorship has also contributed to kangaroo exclusion fencing around planted seedlings and the installation of possum and black cockatoo nest boxes. BHP Billiton have sponsored a variety of community workshops and talks including, night stalks, guided bird walks, the 2008 WA Youth Environment Conference and the forest's involvement in the 'Earth from Above' exhibition.

Landcare is a partnership between community, government and business to ‘do something positive’ about tackling land degradation in Australia. Landcare currently provides assistance and advice, and has linked the Baldivis Children's Forest project with corporate sponsors to enable the project to grow and progress. During 2006 Landcare in partnership with Sony donated a digital camera and recorder to the forest. An Australia Post Junior Landcare grant in 2007 provided funding for the construction of bat nest boxes. The forest was a finalist in the 2008 Alcoa Community Group Landcare Award for our rehabilitation efforts at the forest.

Alcoa of Australia Limited is the world’s leading producer of alumina from three refineries in Western Australia. The Kwinana refinery has provided funding for rehabilitation work at the Baldivis Children's Forest since 2000. Mr Brian Foley represented Alcoa on the Steering Committee during 2001-2006, providing valuable direction and support for the BCF project. A Brian Foley memorial information shelter was erected at the forest in 2008 in recognition of his contribution to the forest project and wetland conservation in the region. A 2009 Swan Alcoa Landcare Program grant will fund the rehabilition, weed and feral bee programs at the forest.

Both Baldivis and Singleton Volunteer Fire Brigade are a group of local volunteers that protect the community from bushfires through fire prevention, fire suppression and fire safety education. The group is administered by the City of Rockingham and trained and supported by FESA in bushfire response and prevention. Members from the Baldivis Brigade have assisted at BCF since inception with Singelton Brigade coming on board in 2007. The Baldivis unit has helped with watering seedlings, maintaining firebreaks and access tracks, preparing a fire response plan, with both units giving fire-safety education talks to students.

During 2009/2010 The Baldivis Children's Foerst will be partially funded through the Australian Government's Caring for our Country Community Action Grant.