Stewardship
The Catholic social teaching principle of stewardship is about being responsible guardians. We are guardians of the earth. Exercising stewardship is caring for the gifts God has given us, including the environment, our own personal talents and other resources. St Mary’s is a Josephite school and through our involvement with Landcare we seek to honour this legacy.
Every rock, every leaf, every insect has something beautiful, nay, wonderful to tell.
Father Julian Tenison Woods (co-founder of the Josephites, scientist & environmentalist) 1880
Why does our community believe in taking action to improve the environment?
- Lauditosi’ 2015: We need to care for our common home, namely our planet.
- We are people of hope and what we do will make a difference.
- Ecological education – we seek to promote awareness and action.
- David Attenborough inspires us – “No one will protect what they don’t care about and no one will care about what they have never experienced”. 2013
- We seek to improve personal wellbeingand learn new skills.
- As a generation faced with a future of climate change and uncertainty, we believe students are keen to do something positive for the environment and to bring about change.
- Landcare is fun.
The Landcare Project has also led to other environmental initiatives at St Mary’s including a Return and Earn Program, compost bins, paper recycling, the introduction of stingless bees to the school playground, a frog garden, an Aboriginal bush tucker garden, installation of water tanks, water testing, a sustainable cafe that stocks reusable cups and containers, and various types of recycling.