Gippsland Grammar students are giving a green thumbs up to plant conservation.
The school’s VCE Agriculture and Horticulture students have partnered with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria’s ‘Raising Rarity’ program to help conserve the threatened plant species Craspedia canens, more commonly known as ‘Grey Billy Buttons’
This striking yellow flower, a relative of varieties often seen in florist bouquets, is now found in only one known wild population in Victoria, near Traralgon. Through the Raising Rarity initiative, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) aims to increase the seed supply of this vulnerable species as a long-term safeguard against extinction.
“The Craspedia canens population is at a critically low number and it’s incredibly important to keep this population alive,” RBGV’s Dr Meg Hirst said.
“The aim of this project is to prevent what we call plant blindness – we want students to understand that plants are significant in their own right and underpin the living ecosystems that humans and animals live in.”
Dr Hirst visited Gippsland Grammar last month alongside RBGV colleague Natasha van Velzen to introduce the program and assist students with their first planting.
The year 11 students will grow the plants in custom-built garden beds, monitor their growth and collect seeds. These seeds will then be sent back to the RBGV for viability testing and long-term storage in the Victorian Conservation Seed Bank.
Ms van Velzen said the Raising Rarity citizen science program empowers students to play an active role in conservation.
“We love it when we see the penny drop on why plant conservation is so important,” Ms van Velzen said.
“Our ambition is to work in multiple bio-regions and connect with schools to preserve species native to each region.”
Gippsland Grammar is now one of five local schools involved in the conservation of Craspedia canens, alongside Rosedale, Loch Sport, Bundalaguah, and St Mary’s (Maffra) primary schools. It is one of only two secondary schools involved in the program and the only secondary school based in regional Victoria.
Acting principal Bo Power – who teaches the VCE agriculture and horticulture subject in the school’s new outdoor classroom – said the students had overwhelmingly embraced this opportunity to make a real-world impact.
“Raising rarity was a wonderful concept for us to engage in because of the conservation angle and the links to the science of Horticulture,” Mr Power said.
“And when our students were exposed to both Tash and Meg’s energy and knowledge, they couldn’t help but get swept along.
“Working with these two passionate industry experts was a blessing for our students, and we now have a focused approach to making a difference to the conservation of this endangered plant species.”
More than 50 per cent of Gippsland Grammar families have direct ties to the agriculture industry and the school introduced Agriculture and Horticulture as a VCE subject this year in response to this strong connection.
“We’re intentionally growing an agricultural education program that connects
students to the land, the science and
the progressive thinking that will shape the future of farming,” Mr Power said.
“Education is an essential element in fostering a more accurate understanding of modern agriculture and, as a Gippsland school educating students from Gippsland farms, we need to play a role in creating those pathways where students can pursue their passions or, at a minimum, get a deeper understanding of the progressive nature of a modern farming.”
Gippsland Grammar is intentionally incorporating age-appropriate agriculture curriculum to its teaching and learning programs, from ELC to VCE. This term, three-year-old students at the school’s ELC have been learning about worms, soil and sustainability.
While the school’s Bairnsdale Campus received the ‘Schools Sustained Environment Award’ at this year’s Clean Up Australia Community Awards, and the year four Sustainability Program at the St Anne’s junior campus in Sale was recently named as a finalist in the 2025 ResourceSmart School Awards.
Mr Power said the school’s long-term goal is for all students to develop a deeper understanding of and appreciation for modern farming and food production.
“If a percentage of our students develop a passion for the industry and go on to study Agribusiness or Agricultural Science at university, that will be a fantastic outcome,” Mr Power said. “If another percentage remained in local area and entered the workforces as skilled and knowledgeable workers, then that would be an evener stronger outcome.
“The Ag industry needs fresh energy to continue to drive its growth and our school is proud and engergised to play a very local role in that movement.”
