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Cattai Public School students swapped classrooms for creek banks on Thursday, 24 July, joining a special environmental education day designed to inspire the next generation of platypus protectors.
The event formed part of the Resilient Rivers for Resilient Hawkesbury Platypus Populations project (RRRP), led by the Hawkesbury Environment Network and Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network. In partnership with First Nations organisations, Hawkesbury City Council, and the Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeepers Alliance, the initiative restores riparian vegetation, builds “Platypus Parks,” and fosters community-led conservation across the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment.
Cattai is recognised as a hotspot for platypus habitat, and several local landowners are already restoring creekside vegetation to improve conditions for this iconic and elusive mammal.
On the day, 57 primary students walked from school to Cattai Bridge Reserve, where they planted native species along the banks of Cattai Creek. These flood-tolerant plants will help stabilise the creek’s banks, improve water quality, and create food sources and shelter for platypus and other wildlife. Each student planted one or two seedlings and decorated their own tree guards, giving them a tangible sense of ownership.
“The kids really loved the plantings and were really engaged,” said Jocelyn Howden from the Hawkesbury Environment Network. “It was a good idea to get them to paint their own tree guards because it gives them ownership of their work.”
The hands-on activities coincided with National Tree Day, celebrated on Sunday, 27 July, adding extra significance to the effort.
Principal Robert Hawkes said the experience would leave a lasting impression on his students. “Our students have such a strong connection to the environment and love learning about culture. The opportunity to be involved in a day like today is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”
The program blended science, culture, and creativity. Students attended a First Nations Cultural Connection workshop with Dharug educator Rhiannon Wright, making emu feather bracelets while learning about sacred sites, traditional water practices, and the concept of Caring for Country (Ngurra). They also took part in a Dharug language session with Londonderry Public School students, learning words for rivers, animals, and places.
Dr Michelle Ryan, Hawkesbury-Nepean Waterkeeper and Senior Lecturer at Western Sydney University, captivated students with an interactive platypus ecology talk, introducing the animal’s unique biology and explaining how waterbugs signal waterway health.
Funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, and supported by Western Sydney University, the RRRP is showing how local action, cultural knowledge, and education can work together to protect one of Australia’s most distinctive species.
For Cattai’s young conservationists, the day planted more than trees—it planted the seeds of lifelong stewardship for the rivers they call home.
