News & Events

ForestLearning and Hurfords Forests joined forces for the One Earth One Future Sustainability Challenge at Kingscliff High School, engaging more than 120 Years 5–7 students from 12 Northern NSW schools in hands-on forestry and STEM learning.

Hosted by the Coastal Academy of STEM Excellence, the event gave students a chance to explore how sustainable forestry supports climate and environmental solutions. Beth Welden, Program Manager of ForestLearning, and Mia Cassidy from Hurfords Forests also joined the judging panel to assess student sustainability projects.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Mia and Beth led a bush track workshop where students explored how climate influences forest tree species and how foresters use environmental factors to manage and care for Australia’s forests. A scavenger hunt encouraged students to identify forest features including bird nests, buttress roots, paper bark, ferns and fungi, while observing how forests support wildlife. Students also measured the carbon stored in a nearby power pole, reinforcing their understanding of trees as renewable carbon stores.

“I loved the forest walk and scavenger hunt. We even saw an eagle feeding a fish to its chicks in a nest on top of a power pole that may have come from Hurfords forests! And we measured the carbon stored in the power pole – it was a lot!” said a Year 5 student.

“I never realised how trees store carbon in their wood before,” said a Year 7 student.

“The students were really engaged in the forest activities and it tied in the use of renewable resources so well to sustainability and climate change,” said one participating teacher.

Recognising Student Achievement

ForestLearning provided prize packs for all winning student entries across both primary and secondary levels. A total of 18 branded prize bags were awarded to the first, second and third place-getting teams in each category. Teacher packs and biodiversity planting kits were also distributed to support future classroom learning.

Inspiring Future Changemakers

Mia also shared her personal journey as a forester, highlighting the role of forest stewardship and the broad skills involved in the forestry sector. Her stories helped students connect what they experienced on the trail to real-world forestry careers and sustainable land management.

Partnerships That Bring Learning to Life

Events like the One Earth One Future Sustainability Challenge demonstrate the power of the forest and wood product industry and schools working together to inspire the next generation of innovators, problem solvers and environmental stewards.

Explore ForestLearning’s full suite of free classroom resources at www.forestlearning.edu.au.