Trinity Anglican School, Media Release, 15 June 2023
Fitting neatly into co-curricular studies and specifically, the Connecting to Cattana Wetlands program, year 6 students at Trinity Anglican School (TAS) White Rock campus were treated to a special presentation this week about migratory shorebirds by zoologist, microlight pilot adventurer and children’s book author, Milly Formby.
Melding science, art, and adventure to foster nature stewardship, Wing Threads is a flying quest undertaken by zoologist Amellia (Milly) Formby – who at the helm of her microlight – is currently flying around Australia to bring her book, A Shorebird Flying Adventure to Australian primary school students, including TAS in the Far North.
TAS’ year 6 students were captivated by Milly’s presentation which provided a practical perspective to their studies of Cattana Wetlands near Smithfield – home to several species of shorebirds. This intergenerational and hands-on project is designed to give students an insight into the importance of caring for country and native habitat rehabilitation.
Milly’s presentation focusses on the preservation of wetland ecosystems as chain links in the flight path for migratory shorebirds or waders. While there are 50 species of shorebirds in Australia, they comprise the world’s most endangered species. Every year instinct drives millions of shorebirds onto the bird migration highway known as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, to cover an epic distance of 12,000 km from Australia into breeding grounds on the Arctic Tundra.
About Amellia (Milly) Formby
Originally from Gipplsand in Victoria, Milly Formby currently works for BirdLife Australia as a Project Officer for their Migratory Shorebird Program based in Newcastle, NSW. Since training to become a qualified recreational pilot in WA in 2016, Milly crowdfunded over $18,000 to put towards a microlight until 2018 when she was sponsored by the Peel-Harvey Catchment Council in WA and pooling money from the crowdfunding and Dick Smith, managed to buy an Airborne M4 Sport microlight that she helped build herself. Since then, she has created a children’s book through CSIRO Publishing about Wing Threads to promote migratory shorebird conservation called A Shorebird Flying Adventure, written by Jackie Kerin and illustrated by Milly Formby.
About TAS Year 6 Connections Program (Award of Excellence in Co-Curricular category of Australian Education Awards 2023)
TAS signature Connections program is unique, encompassing a series of interconnected programs that include an inquiry/environmental project which studies the fragile ecosystem and preservation of *Cattana Wetlands near Smithfield.
TAS’ Connections program also includes Connecting to Country (Indigenous perspective with a Northern Territory trip to work with First Nation people), Care and Connect (a leadership/mentor program in which the students lead workshops and mentoring programs for younger students), Extra-Curricular (a variety of creative experiences across the curriculum with activities vary from flying drones to public speaking, choirs to forming rock bands, soccer to table tennis), Connecting To Cairns (a program in the city of Cairns to understand what makes it special working with locals and tourists to get an understanding of the local economy), Outdoor Education, (students lose technology and spend a week exploring the caves of the Tablelands), Homestay visits with a sister school in Japan (a biannual volunteer project where TAS students host Japanese visitors followed by a TAS student visit hosted in Japan) and Round Square service projects (students initiate service projects on a local and global scale such as Eat Up Australia).
Embedded within each program is the use of technology facilitated through a unique partnership with Microsoft Education, the Microsoft Showcase school pathway.
*Cattana Wetlands is a protected, 80-hectare reserve containing regionally significant forests and a diverse range of bird species (including 70 water species spanning freshwater and shorebirds (waders) and wildlife. Managed by Cairns Regional Council, the wetlands is very popular with morning walkers and wildlife photographers.
About TAS
Since its foundation in 1983, TAS has built a reputation for exceptional academic achievement, service to the community, excellence in Music, Art and Drama and all-round leadership in education.
TAS White Rock caters for students from kindergarten through to Year 12 and TAS Kewarra Beach serves students from Kindergarten to Year 6.
Students strive for excellence and are encouraged to participate fully in all areas of school life to unlock and realise their full potential.
