Inclusive education and accessibility

All NSW public school students have the right to learn in safe, supportive and inclusive environments where they feel happy, respected and valued. NSW public schools are equipped to support students with disability and additional learning and support needs through reasonable adjustments and personalised learning strategies.

At Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre (Field of Mars EEC) we work with schools to plan inclusive excursions and incursions so that as many students as possible can participate. Many of our programs can be modified to support students with disability, including wheelchair-accessible options, adjusted fieldwork routes, alternative activities and social stories. Teachers are encouraged to contact us to discuss student needs so we can help create an accessible and positive environmental education experience for every class.

Support for students with additional needs

The information below is designed to help students, families and teachers prepare for a visit to Field of Mars EEC. You can view visual social stories for selected excursions on our social stories page. If a program does not have a social story or you need additional information, please contact us.

Preparing for your excursion

Prepare for your excursion by making sure you bring the right gear and know what to expect.

Watch the video below to see what Field of Mars EEC and Field of Mars Reserve look like before you visit.

Getting around Field of Mars Reserve

Use the map below to see paths, boardwalks and key features of Field of Mars Reserve. This can help students and families plan how they will move around the site.

Some tracks are steeper or uneven, while the boardwalk and some paths are more accessible.

Field of Mars Reserve map PDF

What will you see?

When you visit Field of Mars Reserve, you may see some of the plants, animals and places shown below.

You might see a laughing kookaburra sitting on a tree branch, looking around the bush.

Some parts of the reserve have big rocky sandstone outcrops surrounded by trees and plants.

Tiny millipedes can sometimes be found curled up and hiding in the bark of trees.

Ducks glide quietly along the creek, sharing the water with lots of other wildlife.

A brush turkey might wander past you on the track, scratching in the leaves while people sit nearby.

When you look up, you can see the tall eucalyptus trees forming a green canopy overhead.

Australian magpies often walk on the ground, searching for food and watching what is happening around them.

In some places, paperbark trees and ferns grow together, showing that there are many different environments to explore.

Some spiders build webs between branches and plants to catch their food.

Large rock boulders in the bush provide different types of habitats for animals and plants.

The boardwalk takes you through the forest so you can safely look at the plants, flowers and creek.

Banksia flower cones grow on banksia trees and provide food and shelter for different animals and birds.

What will you hear?

Listen to some of the sounds you might hear at Field of Mars Reserve, such as birds, wind and water.

What is the boardwalk like?

Watch this video to see what it is like to walk on the boardwalk, including railings, surface and surroundings, before you come.