Kuyangani: Learning to Care for Creation
At Holy Family Catholic School, our environmental sustainability program is inspired by the Kaurna word Kuyangani, meaning a place where fish gather. Just as fish gather in life-giving waters, Holy Family is a place where learners come together to grow, explore and care for creation.
The development of ecological awareness and responsibility is an integral part of learning at Holy Family. Through purpose-built learning environments and authentic inquiry experiences, students are encouraged to develop a deep appreciation for the natural world and their role in caring for it.
Our students’ natural curiosity drives rich learning opportunities at the intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Through hands-on investigations, they explore topics such as aquaponics, aquatic ecosystems, water chemistry, biology and sustainable environmental practices. These experiences support learning across the Australian Curriculum (ACARA) and are closely connected to the Catholic understanding of stewardship and care for our common home.
The Kuyangani Learning Centre further enriches this learning by providing students with opportunities to care for and learn from a variety of living creatures, including bearded dragons, yabbies, turtles, frogs, hopping mice and fish. Through these experiences, students develop knowledge, responsibility, compassion and a deeper connection to the living world around them.
At Holy Family, Kuyangani is a living expression of our commitment to ecological learning, sustainability and care for our common home.
‘In his hand is the life of every living thing‘
Job 12:10
The narrative of Holy Family’s ‘Kuyangani’
March 2017
Fish Introduced to the Fish Farm
In March 2017, after testing water quality, species of yabbies, silver perch, rainbow trout and barramundi were introduced into the Fish Farm (now known as Kuyangani Aquaponics) with great success.
June 2017
Fish Farm Officially Named ‘Kuyangani’
In June 2017, the Fish Farm was officially named ‘Kuyangani’ from the Kaurna language being from the original custodians of the land the school lies on..
April 2018
Canteen Uses Produce From the Kuyangani gardens
In April 2018, the canteen began to use produce from the Kuyangani gardens to provide for recess and lunch.
July 2018
Garden Produce Offered to Families
In July 2018, the School started offering garden produce to families.
January 2019
Turtles Introduced
In January 2019, short neck and long neck turtles were introduced to the program, which provided deeper learning on feeding cycles and optimal aquatic living environments.
April 2019
Barramundi Project
In April 2019, the Barramundi Project progressed with all fish growing and flourishing in the bigger tanks. Classes undertook water testing, feeding, documenting and sharing information on the fish.
March 2020
Silver Perch Fish Population Increased Rapidly
In March 2020, the school’s number of silver perch fish rapidly increased. Students became involved in the transition of tanks that accommodated increasing numbers.
April 2020
Supporting Critically Endangered Native Species
In April 2020, the school connected with Dr Sylvia Zukowski, an Aquatic Ecologist from Aquasave and the Glenelg Trust, to assist the initiation of a project at the school to house and breed critically endangered native species. This supported the ecological and sustainability focus of the school. The key project focussed on increasing the number of critically endangered Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon.
May 2020
Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon Introduced
In May 2020, the first group of Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon were introduced into the tanks. Holy Family also started a project to increase the number of critically endangered fish. These important fish have been regularly released into the Kuyangani wetlands and monitored through netting and release programs with Aquasave.
The Kuyangain Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon Project experienced an influential moment in our conservation efforts when a group of students travelled to a waterway in the Murray Bridge area to release a small group of Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon into the wild. It was instructive for us to see a natural waterway in which this species of fish and other similar species including flat headed gudgeon cohabitate.
June 2022
ABC TV Landline Feature
In June of 2022 our ecological story was aired on ABC TV Landline. The narrative shared the school’s special relationship with Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon from birth to release in the wild. Filmed on location near Murray Bridge and at Holy Family Catholic School.
This is the beginning of a narrative about our response to the assertion by David Attenborough that “It’s surely our responsibility to do everything in our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth”.
As Pope Francis expresses it in his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’: Our Care for Our Common Home. This learning to care for God’s creation is very important to us all.
Click on the image below to visit our ABC News article.
End of 2022 to 2024
Completion of Wetlands
The success of our native fish breeding program meant that we had an abundant fish to accommodate on our school site. This led to the need to create a wetlands, now called Kuyangani Wetlands.
The idea was to accommodate fish into our wetlands until they can be released into natural waterways under the direction of Aquasave. We now do this every year, through our breeding program.
2025 onwards
Continued Endangered Species Protection
The Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon have been safely netted from our wetlands and transported to sites identified by Aquasave.
Our wetlands now include other species such as the critically endangered Yarra Pigmy Perch and Southern Pigmy Perch, Glass Perchlet and the less endangered River Murray Rainbow.
Throughout our success story, we have been well supported by Green Adelaide and their grants program that have enabled us to revegetate and landscape our existing wetlands using native plants.
2026
Interactive Signage
In 2026 we placed interactive signage in our wetlands (as part of our Green Adelaide grant) and look forward to a community celebration of the official opening of the Kuyangani in Term 4!
A Holy Family Catholic School, Warringga Committee and Green Adelaide initiative. Working in partnership to preserve critically endangered native fish.