Staughton Vale Ambassadors: Protecting the Brush-tailed Phascogale
At Bacchus Marsh Grammar’s Staughton Vale campus, the Staughton Vale Ambassadors have been working on a hands-on conservation project to support the Brush-tailed Phascogale.
The Brush-tailed Phascogale is a small, nocturnal, tree-dwelling marsupial that depends on tree hollows for shelter and breeding. As natural hollows can take decades to form, suitable habitat spaces can be limited. To help address this, we previously built and installed several nesting boxes around the Staughton Vale campus to provide safe spaces for phascogales to inhabit.
On 19 February, we were privileged to undertake an excursion to Staughton Vale to observe the progress of the nesting boxes and the revegetation work completed in the area. During this visit, we also measured the distances between trees we installed nesting boxes on, as we are working towards installing wildlife corridors in the form of rope bridges. This is because phascogales prefer to travel through the canopy; gaps between trees can force them to the ground where they are more vulnerable to predators such as foxes and feral cats. Collecting this data allows us to determine where we can install the rope bridges and how much material we need. It was a valuable excursion, as the Senior SV Ambassadors were able to showcase our previous initiatives to the new cohort, while also enjoying fresh air during the hike along the scenic trail.
With the new year and a bigger team, we are also excited to announce that we are commencing work on the conservation of the Grassland Earless Dragon, while continuing to expand our efforts to protect the Brush-tailed Phascogale. Through these initiatives, we are committed to furthering our conservation efforts at the Staughton Vale Campus.
On behalf of all Staughton Vale Ambassadors, we would like to thank all the organisers and teachers who have made this opportunity possible.
2026 Woodlea Staughton Vale Ambassadors
Horticultural Education at Staughton Vale
We are delighted to welcome Joel Inei to our Staughton Vale Campus as our new Horticultural Educator. Joel brings a passion for sustainable food production and hands-on learning to our school community. In this role, he will support students to engage with our Seed to Feed / Paddock to Plate concept, guiding them through practical experiences in the Kitchen and Market Gardens, and the orchards at Staughton Vale.
During student visits, Joel will help deepen their understanding of horticultural practices and sustainable food systems, enriching their connection to the land. Produce grown on the farm is already being used in Food Technology classes and will feature throughout the year in our much-loved Pop-Up Farm Stalls, showcasing student learning and fresh local produce.
Kimone Stacey-Missen – Educational Programs Coordinator: Staughton vale Campus
University of Queensland sunflower challenge begins
Across all three campuses, students have enthusiastically taken part in the annual University of Queensland Sunflower Competition — a nationwide challenge where classes grow a sunflower from a single seed and aim for the largest and heaviest head possible. The competition encourages hands-on exploration of plant science, agronomy and horticulture, and runs from late February through to May each year.
Last year, our Maddingley Year 8 students proudly won the state prize, achieving a sunflower head weighing nearly 100 g — a wonderful result! This year, students across Maddingley, Woodlea and Staughton Vale campuses are again entering the challenge, supported by Mr Gorton, Mr Inei and Ms Williams.
With the competition concluding in May, we look forward to sharing news of our campus winners and results soon. Stay tuned!
David Gorton – Head of Campus (Staughton Vale)