THE WISE EARTH FIELD GUIDE
Nine landscapes.
One living classroom.
From lakes and rainforest creeks to rock platforms and floodplains, the Northern Rivers is our living classroom. We investigate what lives here, notice what changes and learn what each place asks of us.
Growing curiosity and care for Country.
REEF | FLAT ROCK
Reading the Tidal Pools
A living intertidal world where we investigate how tides, weather and changing conditions shape marine biodiversity.
WATCHING
Sea stars · rock pools · crabs · molluscs · tides · shorebirds
THE BIG QUESTION
What can rock-pool life tell us about the health of our coast?
HEATHLAND | LENNOX
Living With Fire
A diverse coastal heath where we find out how fire, seasons and time shape plants and wildlife in a landscape very different from forest.
WATCHING
Heath plants · fire history · flowering · pollinators · wallum wildlife · regeneration
THE BIG QUESTION
Why does some Country need fire to stay healthy?
DUNES | ANGELS BEACH
Caring for the Coastal Edge
A changing coastal corridor where we investigate how dunes, native vegetation, wildlife protect and depend upon one another.
WATCHING
Dune health · erosion · coastal plants · shorebirds · Rainbow Bee-eaters · seasonal change
THE BIG QUESTION
How do we share the coastline without loving it to pieces?
CATCHMENT | Tintenbar
Following Our Drinking Water
Part of our local water catchment, this rainforest waterway helps children trace the journey of freshwater and understand why protecting the land around it matters to everyone.
WATCHING
Water flow · rainfall · creek health · turtles · eels · birdlife
THE BIG QUESTION
How do we care for the water our community depends on?
CREEK | TINTENBAR
Reading a Changing Creek
A restored waterway where we investigate how floods, farming and carp affect creek health, while its rocks reveal Tintenbar’s volcanic and opal history.
WATCHING
Creek restoration · carp · flood change · erosion · water health · geology
THE BIG QUESTION
What can a creek tell us about the land around it?
LAKE | Lake Ainsworth
Learning to Care for a Living Lake
A rare freshwater dune lake, locally known as Tea Tree Lake for the tannin-stained water beneath its surrounding trees, where we observe how rain, wildlife, vegetation and human activity shape the health of a shared waterway.
WATCHING
Birdlife · water levels · aquatic weeds · lake-edge health
THE BIG QUESTION
How do we care for a living lake?
FLOODPLAIN | Bangalow
Where Nature & Community Meet
A creekside floodplain where children observe how water, wildlife and community life coexist in the heart of Bangalow.
WATCHING
Byron Creek · flooding · birdlife · reptiles · native gardens · creek-bank health
THE BIG QUESTION
How do we care for nature when it runs through the heart of our town?
WORKING HANDS | Men's Shed
Where Generations Meet
A working space where children work alongside intergenerational craftsmen learning how raw timber becomes something built to last and how patience, care and mentorship shape a finished piece as much as any tool does.
WATCHING
Wood grain · joinery · tool · sloyd and · repair versus discard · hand skill passed down
THE BIG QUESTION
What does it take to turn raw material into something useful?
RAINFOREST | Victoria Park
Ninety-nine percent of the Big Scrub, once Australia's largest rainforest is gone. Victoria Park is what survived, and what patient hands have spent sixty years bringing back.
WATCHING
Remnant canopy vs. replanted edge · lantana clearing · epiphytes · bird calls · regrowth zones
THE BIG QUESTION
What does it take to bring a forest back?