4 BMG AND PARKS VICTORIA – SIGNAGE COLLABORATION In 2021, Year 9/10 Environmental Science students were given an exciting opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the community. Parks Victoria Education Officer, Vanessa Wiggenraad and Parks Victoria Ranger, Alex Shellard invited BMG students to design new permanent signage for the Brisbane Ranges National Park and Lerderderg State Park. Wherever it is safe to do so, rangers preserve dead trees and fallen branches in national parks, recognising the importance they play in providing habitat for animals. A program creating artificial hollows and installing nesting boxes also support greater biodiversity. To prevent visitors from illegally collecting branches or chopping firewood, new signage was needed to protect the valuable habitat. The project started in April 2021, with Parks Victoria representatives and students touring Anakie Gorge to see the work being done to preserve habitat and show examples of interpretive signs. Students worked in small groups to develop an attractive, engaging interpretive sign that clearly explained why habitat trees are important and should be protected. The challenge was to make signs clear and concise, appeal to park users and encourage them to look around, listen and think. There were 10 outstanding examples of creativity when each group presented their design. Three entries were particularly notable and ranked highly by all participants. Park rangers worked with designers to pull elements of all three together, producing a single interpretive sign to be replicated in aluminium and mounted throughout the Brisbane Ranges and Lerderderg parks. The launch of the new signage was delayed due to COVID. In March, representatives from Parks Victoria, DELWP and the school, together with Environmental Science students, were thrilled to finally venture out to Lerderderg State Park and formally launch the new signs. Stuart Lardner, Area Chief Ranger Geelong explained “We are delighted to launch new visitor signage with Bacchus Marsh Grammar. The signs will make a great difference illustrating the importance of protecting habitat trees in parks.”
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