Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

Experience Engage Enable

Telephone02 9816 1298

Emailfieldofmar-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Special places excursion program

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Teacher checklist

Location

Field of Mars Reserve, Pittwater Road, East Ryde

Wallumedegal Country

Google maps - Apple maps

Supply bus driver with Field of Mars Reserve bus information.

No bus entry into Field of Mars Reserve.
Risk management plan 

View the YouTube track overview videos.

Buffalo Creek Track

Doyle and Warada Loop Track
Cost

2025 DoE $25 per student - GST free

2025 Non-gov school cost $35 per student - GST free, minimum charge $750

Schools are to confirm the number of students and classes at least 7 days prior to attending. Schools will be charged based on the number of students confirmed or number of students who attend on the day (whichever is greater). 
Welfare

Participants will be bushwalking during the day in rugged terrain.

Limited wheelchair accessibility.

This excursion may not be suitable for people who have recently been unwell.
Bring

Backpack, medication, low-waste food, water bottle, sunblock, raincoat, hat, sturdy shoes.

Students wear reusable name tag and sports uniform.
Please provide Two tote trays per class to transport your clay models back to school.
View Preparing for an excursion
Supporting resources

Student activites

Special places map

Social story

Animal and plant fact sheets
Bin access All student waste to be taken home by students.
Parent/carer helpers Optional one or two parents per class, no siblings. Closed shoes essential.
Medical or special needs

Notify Field of Mars staff prior to excursion. 

Students, staff and visitors must not attend if unwell, even with mild symptoms.
Extreme or wet weather

Days predicted to be above 35ºC, high winds, extreme bush fire danger and dust storms may result in the excursion being modified, postponed or cancelled. 
Cancellations

Cancellations with less than 30 working school days notice will incur a $600 administration fee. 

Cancellations with less than 7 working school days notice will incur the full cost for the program based on the original booking. 

Cancellations due to weather or fire danger are exempt from fees. 

Suggested timetable for up to six classes

Time

Classes A, B, C

Classes D, E, F
9.45 - 10.30

Introduction

Recess and toilets

Introduction

Recess and toilets
10.30 - 12.00

Sensory exploration of places

People in places

Forest places
12.00 - 12.30

 Lunch

 Lunch
12.30 - 2.00

People in places

Forest places

Sensory exploration of places
2.00 - 2.15

Pack up, collect Garigan clay models, toilet, depart

Pack up, collect Garigan clay models, toilet, depart

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Learning activities

Students investigate the natural and human features of the Field of Mars Reserve, the characteristics of places within the reserve and consider how they can care for them.

Key questions

  • What are the features of the Field of Mars Reserve?
  • What makes places in the Field of Mars Reserve special to people?
  • How can we care for the places we visit?

Fieldwork

Animals in places

Students use their senses to explore the banks of Buffalo Creek and the parkland, bushland and rocky outcrops nearby. Students use a pictorial map to plan their route, hear the Aboriginal Dreaming story of Garigan the blue-tongue lizard and create a clay model of a blue-tongue lizard to take back to school. 

People in places

Located on a sandstone platform surrounded by eucalyptus trees and shrubs, students work together to reach this special place using their pictorial maps. Other immersive activities may include a nature spot, hand-lens micro-hiking, symphony of bush sounds and a treasure hunt of natural materials. These multisensory activities will allow students develop a personal connection to the forest.

Students will also visit a peaceful area where grassy recreational spaces mix with the bushland. Areas such as this have distinct meanings for Aboriginal Peoples and other people. After hearing some stories of people and place students are given freedom to plan, create and construct their own shelters using the abundant natural materials.

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Syllabus outcomes and content

Human Society and its Environment K-6 Syllabus (2024)

People are connected to places

Outcomes

  • Identifies ways that Aboriginal Peoples connect with Country, Culture and Community HSE- ACH-01
  • Identifies and locates places people connect with, using geographical information HSE-GEO- 01 

Content

Aboriginal Peoples are the Traditional Custodians of Country

  • Engage with Aboriginal stories about land, water and sky Country

Places can be located and described using geographical information

  • Recognise that familiar places can be represented in different ways
  • Identify natural features of familiar places
  • Identify human features of familiar places
  • Participate in multisensory observations of familiar places

People are connected to places and each other

  • Participate in activities to care for familiar places

Human Society and its Environment K-6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024

Geography K-10 Syllabus (2015) 

People live in places

Outcomes

  • identifies places and develops an understanding of the importance of places to people GEe-1 
  • communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools GEe-2 

Content

Important places

  • investigate the importance of places they live in and belong to, for example: 
    • identification of places they live in and belong to
    • discussion of why places are special and how people care for them
    • explanation of why people need to take care of places

Locating places 

  • investigate how the location of places can be represented, for example:
    • location of familiar and local places on maps
    • description of the location of places

Other syllabus links

Learning experiences will also support but not explicitly teach the following content.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander places

  • investigate the Countries/Places important to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Geography K-10 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2015

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Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

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We’d like to acknowledge the Wallumedegal Peoples of the Darug Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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