School excursions
Go Wild – Discover, Connect and Act!
Empowering today’s youth to take positive action for our environment!
Located on the edge of Brisbane’s largest national park, D’Aguilar National Park, and incorporating the Enoggera Reservoir, the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre provides a fantastic learning environment for young people of all ages. Spend the day with our animals, head onto one of the short walking tracks or take a paddle on the reservoir. Regardless of your learning focus Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre is the place to go!
Download a park map to help you plan your day.
Our Park Rangers are available to share their stories and help students discover and connect with Queensland unique native species and the protected habitats they live within while learning about the issues and problems facing them. Our educational experiences are all about changing attitudes and behaviours and motivating meaningful ACTION, informed by knowledge, and understanding.
Our unique learning experiences can be tailored to curriculum with content and duration tailored to catered for any year level and students with diverse learning needs. With indoor and outdoor presentation areas, including our new living classroom, we have options for all weather conditions and learning outcomes.
While programs can be tailored to meet needs there are four standard booking options available to school groups, including:
- Self-guided tours – school groups can coordinate their own site tour enabling students time to discover some of the weird and wonderful wildlife that inhabits Queensland's national parks within our wildlife centre.
- WildEd – A ranger led presentation designed to identify and explore your specific learning goals and content with the help of our native wildlife ambassador team. Following the workshop students have the opportunity to put their learning into action through an engaging practical workshop.
- Into the Wild – a wildlife discovery show led by our Ranger team involving multiple species while also showcasing Queensland’s National Parks and threatened species.
- Ranger Guided Park tour – A guided tour around the park providing students with insights into the unique species, and their habitats, that call Queensland home.
Below is an example of curriculum links that can be addressed through our Wild Ed program. However, please ensure you discuss learning needs with our Education Ranger so your desired learning outcomes can be met!
| Year level and program | Australian curriculum | Wild Ed presentation outlines | Optional add on: Wild Challenge Practical Action Workshop outlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood (Kindergarten) – Connectedness |
Early Years Learning Framework Children are connected with and contribute to their world. | We understand that exploring and discovery are exciting learning phases in early childhood and involves focus on a broad range of concepts – that is why our presentations support the Connectedness and Active Learning areas. Whether it be snake shedding, or the life cycle of a butterfly, our presentation can extend on your current lines of inquiry. | No workshop available – presentation supports intentional teaching practices. |
| Prep – Basic Needs | ACSSU002: Living things have basic needs, including food and water. | Our Basic Needs presentation will explore those specific needs that living things require. Enlisting the help of some of our animal friends, our rangers will demonstrate the necessity of food, water, shelter, oxygen and rest for living things to survive. | While exploring the wildlife centre students will complete a fun wild challenge activity sheet that puts learning into action! Students will see a range of wildlife and be able to identify and make decisions on what basic need can be seen – eating, drinking, resting, breathing and/or using shelter. |
| Year One – Fur, Feathers, Scales and Habitats | ACSSU017:
Living things have a variety of external features. ACSSU211: Living things live in different places where their needs are met. | Fur, Feathers, Scales and Habitats will delve into the physical features that can be found on a variety of Queensland’s unique wildlife. We will explore differing body parts and what purposes they serve in aiding survival. In addition to this, we will examine these features as clues to find out where these animals live in the wild. | The wild challenge encourages students to identify and explore different adaptations (e.g. camouflage, swimming & climbing) through drawing or creating (craft) three different animals they identify when visiting the wildlife centre. |
| Year Two – Animal Offspring | ACSSU030: Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves. | Animal Offspring will introduce students to various Australian animals with an emphasis on the initial stages of their life cycle. Together we will compare these beginnings as we more closely examine the similarities and differences found in contrasting animal groups, such as reptiles, mammals, insects and birds. | Now it’s time to put learning into practice through a wild challenge! Students will need to hunt for puzzle pieces as they explore the wildlife centre to create a wildlife picture as they identify and discuss growth differences within and between species – 1) frog (tadpole), 2) bird (chick), 3) pademelon/wallaby (joey), 4) moth/butterfly (caterpillar), and 5) a human (baby). |
| Year Three – Living and Non-Living | ACSSU044: Living things can be grouped on the basis of observable features and can be distinguished from non-living things. | All living things are defined by seven key characteristics: movement, reproduction, growth, sensitivity, respiration, excretion and nutrition gain. Living and Non-living will demonstrate these characteristics with the help of our Australian wildlife, while also challenging students to sort through a variety of living, non-living and once-living things. | After unpacking the seven main life functions, students will delve deeper into the concept of living things and their offspring’s. Students will engage in some practical activities to identify what external factors are required for plants to grow and reproduce whilst learning about the different purposes of each part of a plant. |
| Year Four – Life Cycles | ACSSU072:
Living things have life cycles. ACSSU073: Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive. | The young of many native species can change drastically as they grow into adulthood, moving through significant and distinctive alterations through their lifetime. Life Cycles will explore several examples of this growth, exploring the differences between identifiable stages, and the differences between various animals. | After investigating the life cycles of invertebrates and reptiles, this workshop will require students to put their knowledge to the test through engaging in multiple interactive activities. Exploring concepts such as oviparous, viviparous, physical adaptations and defence mechanisms, each student will leave the workshop with a greater understanding of life cycles and animal behaviours. |
Year Five – Adaptations | ACSSU043: Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. | The animals of Southeast Queensland have evolved unique behavioural and structural adaptations to aid in their survival. Adaptations will present students with the opportunity to observe several animals up close, to determine the behaviours they exhibit, or body parts they have, that give them a better chance to survive in their natural environments. | Using the knowledge acquired from the Adaptations presentation, students will need to ‘think like an animal’ and come up with some conceptual physical or behavioural adaptations animals could evolve overtime in response to changing environments. |
| Year Six – Extreme Survival | ACSSU094: The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment. | Australia is home to some of the most extreme environments on Earth, and yet our native wildlife have evolved to thrive in even the harshest of conditions. Extreme Survival will showcase a specialised group of animals who have adapted to life in the Australian desert, highlighting the fascinating behavioural and physical changes they have evolved. | To solidify this new learning, students will be tasked with redesigning one of the desert-adapted animals featured in the presentation, to survive in another extreme environment, the Arctic circle. This challenge will prompt students to reflect on their target animal’s current adaptations and purpose, then consider how these would alter to suit a colder climate. |
| Year Seven – Food Chains | ACSSU112: Interactions between organisms, including the effects of human activities can be represented by food chains and food webs. | The natural environment contains a multitude of interrelated relationships including the transference of energy. Food Chains will explore the levels found in a specific food chain, identifying the producers, consumers and decomposers, while demonstrating the movement of energy. Students will also identify the effect of invasive species on long established food chains and webs. | After learning of the fragile balance that exists within ecosystem energy transfers, students will be charged with the task of preserving stability within native food chains. To achieve this, the threat of feral cats must be removed. Using any means or approach they wish, the students must identify a method that is humane, will preserve native populations, and be safe for humans. |
| Year Eight – Carnivore vs Herbivore | ACSSU150: Multi-cellular organisms contain systems of organs carrying out specialised functions that enable them to survive and reproduce. | Carnivore vs Herbivore explores the differences in digestive systems correlated with specific diets. Students will learn how to identify digestive and physical traits of herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, examining things like tooth shape and structure, scat and specialised organs. | Using physical structures and indicators as clues, the students will examine a range of different animal skulls and scat to determine if they are a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore. They will also discuss the features of each animal’s digestive system to support such a diet. |
| Year Nine – Ecosystems | ACSSU176: Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems. | Natural ecosystems depend on a series of stable conditions and relationships in order to continue. Ecosystems will encourage students to identify interconnected biotic relationships and develop a stronger appreciation for the importance of abiotic factors. | As students will be aware of the fragile balance between biotic and abiotic factors within specific ecosystems, they will now predict the short term and long-term outcomes caused by varying events. This includes weather, disease and human impact. |
| Year Ten – The Theory of Evolution | ACSSU185: The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the diversity of living things and is supported by a range of scientific evidence. | The Theory of Evolution will introduce students to the work of Charles Darwin while demonstrating the concept of natural selection. The students will compare the similarities and differences between two descendants of the Elephant bird, the Emu and Southern cassowary, determining the traits that led to the development of each species as we know them. | Students will be tasked with predicting the outcome of natural selection on the Emu millions of years in the future. They will need to identify the traits that will be favoured over time to suit varying environments and climates. |
| Year Eleven & Twelve – Keystone Species | ACSBL024, ACSBL020, ACSBL028 | As the world adapts to varying conservation issues, biologists have developed surrogate species to guide decision making and protective measures. These species are known by a host of different terms, including indicator, umbrella, flagship and keystone. Keystone Species will define the role and purpose of each of these titles, with a heavier emphasis on the importance of keystone species. | Students will be charged with the task of locating a variety of different species within the park and then use their new-found understanding, careful observation and group discussion, identify which surrogate title it belongs to – Indicator, Umbrella, Flagship and Keystone. |
Information pack
Our downloadable information pack includes an excursion guide, education activities and risk management guidelines.
Bookings
Head to our online booking console to book your program today! Should you require further assistance just contact our Education team at walkaboutcreek@des.qld.gov.au or 3164 3600.
| Program | Student price (10 or more paying students) |
|---|---|
| School Group – Self guided tour | $3.60 |
| Wild Ed – Curriculum-linked Ranger led presentation and wild challenge practical workshop that provides students the opportunity to put learning into action. (note this is a GST free cost as per tax laws). | $15.00 |
| Into the Wild – a wildlife discovery show led by our Ranger team. | $15.00 |
| Ranger guided park tour – park tour led by our Ranger team. | $15.00 |
| Year level | Free of charge ratio |
|---|---|
| Childcare/Kindergarten (under 4 years) | 1 FOC to 3 children |
| Prep – Year 3 | 1 FOC to 5 students |
| Years 4–6 | 1 FOC to 10 students |
| Years 7–12 | 1 FOC to 15 students |
| Tertiary | 1 FOC to 20 students |
Above group rate available to school groups with 10 or more paying students. Prices are inclusive of GST and available only to Australian primary and secondary education institutions. Prices updated on the first of July every year and are subject to change without notice. Entry to the park is subject to the park's condition of entry . If you have an enquiry about these prices or eligibility please email the Education team at walkaboutcreek@des.qld.gov.au for further details.
- There are currently no park alerts for this park.