Schools
9 April, 2025
Lowood students’ nesting beauties for Rail Trail
THE Brisbane Valley Rail Trail looks more beautiful thanks to nine Lowood State High School (LSHS) students who donated seven handcrafted birdhouses to the Rail Trail Beautification Program on April 1.
The participating students are part of the Hands on Learning Group, a program which aims to give students skills outside of the classroom in an alternative learning environment.
Despite running for six years now at LSHS, this is the first time students have been able to contribute their projects in support of the wider community.
LSHS teacher and one of the program coordinators, Jane Tait, said the students were “beyond excited” to donate their craft to Pete from Pete’s Hobby Nursery to add to the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
“The students absolutely loved it,” she said.
“They’re really proud of their birdhouses and making something for a bigger cause.
“It gave them an opportunity to engage with the community and contribute and that was the purpose of it.”
The 12 and 13-year-old students worked on the houses for the first school term of the year, with teacher aide and second program coordinator Dennis Ward having pre-cut the frames and guiding the students on how to use the necessary tools and glue to assemble it.
The nine students, working in pairs, had to glue the house together, use drills for the necessary holes and paint the house in camouflage colours. The students also got to hang the houses themselves when handing over the donation to Pete, who planted the trees along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
When meeting Pete, students also had a chance to ask questions and learn about birds and their habitat.
“It was really good for us to see some kids who have knowledge about these topics really shine in this different learning environment and see what new areas they thrive in,” Mr Ward said.
“Seeing the kids also working out how to assemble and work with colours to make camouflage was really good for their problem-solving skills and just helps them build confidence, which is the main purpose of the program.
“We get to build relationships with those students and get to know them and work on areas they need help with, such as confidence building or focus learning.”
Pete from Pete’s Hobby Nursery said the day was a very positive experience, both for him and the students, praising the work they did on the birdhouses.
“They looked quite well-made and tidy,” he said.
“They asked some really good questions and seemed
