Covenant College has worked closely with Batesford Fyansford Stonehaven Landcare for over a decade. For the past four years, the River Detectives program has value-added to their partnership. Their story is a great example of the benefits of strong collaboration with community groups. Watch the video to see the highlights or read their full story here.​

• General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio,
• Corangamite CMA,

Victory Christian College is a large P-12 school in the North Central CMA region implementing the River Detectives program to boost their Environmental Science subject area and offer it as a VCE pathway subject to Years 9 and 10 students.  Watch the video to hear their inspiring highlights or read the full story here  !

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban/Storm Water, Video/Audio,
• North Central CMA,

Celebrate the achievements of schools across all five participating regions of Victoria as they learn about our precious waterways and catchments. For previous reports, contact riverdetectives@nccma.vic.gov.au

• Fact sheet, General, Teacher,
• All Regions,

Learn about how the River Detectives program can help schools achieve water, biodiversity and waste RSS modules so the two programs can work smarter, not harder!

• General, Teacher, Video/Audio,
• All Regions,

Sit back and be proud of all that River Detectives achieves across the state by viewing the 2024 mid-year achievements video or the 2023 achievements video.

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio,
• All Regions,

Coastcare Victoria has created a new education resource. The aim of the resource is to engage young people in caring for marine and coastal environments.

The kit consists of a collection of video clips with simple, easy to follow lesson plans. Lesson plans include engaging activities including quizzes, games, videos, and investigation worksheets. The school kit is aimed for years 5-8. It is a flexible resource that is adaptable to younger or older audiences.

To learn more about the Schools Kit watch this 45 minute webinar presented by Coastcare facilitators.

• General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Video/Audio, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Teachers and students can edit this River Detectives slideshow template to present content, share findings, showcase photos or present projects internally in class, at school assemblies or information evenings OR externally for award nominations, forum presentations, etc.

It can be used at in-person or shared on screen during online events.

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Be inspired by the way schools in the north central region are implementing the program;

Victory Christian College (2024), Daylesford Dharma School (2023) and Bridgewater PS (2022).

You can also view a video story about Victory Christian College or Bridgewater Primary School.

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• North Central CMA,

Deans Marsh PS is an active River Detectives school in the Corangamite CMA region embedding the program into the curriculum, into their school’s broader sustainability initiatives and connecting with their community.  Watch the video to hear their highlights or read the full story here !

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio, Water bugs, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Stawell PS is a River Detectives school in the Wimmera CMA region exploring and testing waterways from local lakes to streams in Gariwerd (Grampians National Park).  Watch the video to hear their highlights or read the full story here  !

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Bridgewater PS is a small school in the North Central CMA region achieving great things with their innovative Outdoor Classroom program where River Detectives takes a lead role.  Watch the video to hear their inspiring highlights or read the full story here  !

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Be inspired by the way schools in the north east are implementing the program;

Rutherglen PS (2023), Mitta Mitta PS (2022) and St Patrick’s PS Wangaratta (2020)

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• North East CMA,

Be inspired by the way schools in the Melbourne Water area are implementing the program;

Enjoy this story from Mount Lilydale Mercy College (2020) that shows how the River Detectives program can play a role in the secondary program of a large urban school.

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• Melbourne Water,

Be inspired by the way schools in the Corangamite region are implementing the program;

Covenant College (2024), Timboon P-12 School (2023), Deans Marsh PS (2022) and Carlisle River PS (2020)

You can also view a video story about Covenant College or Deans Marsh Primary School.

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• Corangamite CMA,

Be inspired by the way schools in the Wimmera region are implementing the program;

Jeparit PS (2023 and 2021) and Stawell PS (2022).

To view a video featuring Stawell Primary School’s River Detectives story click here

• Fact sheet, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• Wimmera CMA,

This claymation sums up what the River Detectives program is about and why we love it – great to share with colleagues, students, families, the wider community and to garner support for the program from local groups / businesses / funding bodies.

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio,
• All Regions,

Two books by Jackie French highlighting the impact of Drought and Flood on landscapes, flora, fauna and people.  Read the books or watch the online readings to start discussions about the way climate and natural processes sometimes seem irrelevant in everyday life but their impact on us are brought to the fore in times when nature is out of balance. Use the teachers notes for Drought and Flood to explore the two books with students.

• General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Story Book/Photo, Teacher, Upper Primary, Video/Audio, Water cycles,
• All Regions,

A nature scroll is simply a long, narrow piece of paper used to record your responses to nature, in words and pictures.  It can be a portable, bite-sized alternative to nature journalling and a wonderful way for your students to engage with their local environment or make observations whilst at your adopted water testing site.  Make it scientific, make it artistic or both !

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Schools and the community are invited to recognise and celebrate significant environmental / cultural days each year; some are regional, some national and some international.  Many of these days tie in perfectly with the ethos of the River Detectives program and provide valuable opportunities to broaden/deepen environmental learning and encourage your students to advocate on a range of environmental and cultural issues.

Check out this calendar (embedded with loads of links) and go wild !!

• Aboriginal Cultures, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Use this School Plan to start a conversation with colleagues delivering the River Detectives program in your setting.  This is a great template to use at the start of the year with lots of useful questions to promote thinking and space to document the approach you plan to take.

There is also a useful template for sharing your River Detectives data and experience with others at the end of a term/year.

• Activity Sheet, General, Teacher, Water bugs, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Use natural items found at your local waterway or bushland, in your school yard or home garden to make a weaving like the one pictured at the link above.  Hang it somewhere special to connect you with nature.

• Flora (plants), General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Story Book/Photo, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Use this simple template to challenge students to sit quietly outside and record what they see, hear and smell using words/sketches.

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), General, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary,
• All Regions,

Be inspired by this video by central Victorian Trace Balla and start recording the things you see, hear, touch and smell at your local waterway or anywhere in nature.  You can also access her Nature Journalling for Little Ones video or Nature Journalling for Teens video.

Journal throughout a year and record the seasonal changes you observe.  This ideas sheet from Paperbark Writer will help get you started too !

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), General, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio,
• All Regions,

Making a nature mandala is a great activity to tune into the colours, shapes and textures of natural objects at your waterway.  Collect some treasures, plan a design and create a masterpiece.  Ideally, this is done by the waterway where collected materials can stay on site.  If collecting from your waterway and completing the activity back at school, try to return the materials later.

Extension: find objects in nature that are mandalas in themselves.  See this article for examples.

• Flora (plants), General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Story Book/Photo, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Sustainable Farms is delighted to launch a new booklet, Ten ways to improve the natural assets on a farm. The booklet highlights ten discrete projects that landholders can undertake to improve the health of natural assets – such as dams, shelterbelts or riparian areas – on their properties.

The Ten Ways booklet highlights how one small change on a farm could create new habitat for native animals and lead to increased stock productivity. And these changes don’t have to be onerous or expensive – simply fencing a paddock tree or rocky outcrop can help protect these sensitive assets for the future.

This booklet, although written for adults, is a user-friendly guide for teachers and secondary students with information to inspire environmental action.

• Flora (plants), General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

ADAPT Loddon Mallee have produced a Kids Climate Change Activity Book, including a climate change snakes and ladders game, for middle to upper primary school students filled with interactive puzzles and a story that follows Griffin the Growling Grass Frog on his mission to discover why the Loddon Mallee landscape is changing and his wetlands are drying up.

Many children are engaged with environmental issues including climate change, but often resources are nationally or globally based leaving people feeling powerless to take action. By keeping the story local and providing activities and choices the children can make at home, they may feel more positive about what they can do to make an impact.

If you are a school in the Loddon Mallee region and would like to register your school for free hard copies visit the ADAPT Loddon Mallee website.

• Activity Sheet, Game, General, Guide/Activity booklet, Teacher, Upper Primary,
• North Central CMA,

As part of the River Detective Program’s participation in the statewide 2020 National Water Week Online Learning Festival we put this activity matrix together to offer engaging, multi-age, cross-curricular activities using a variety of learning styles to explore the theme; ‘Reimagining Our Water Future’.

The matrix is a compilation of challenges from a suite of activity matrices under development by the River Detectives program available for registered RD participants and located in this website under the Dive Deeper tab (login required).

Use the matrix to enjoy National Water Week or anytime !

• Activity Sheet, All, General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBAT) are available for high school students over the age of 15 years.  Students work for an employer and train towards a recognised qualification while completing their secondary schooling and studying for their VCE or VCAL.

The North Central CMA have hosted three students during 2020 helping them build connection to their culture, environmental knowledge and skills, self confidence and career pathways.

If you’re an older student looking for inspiration this video shows how SBAT and natural resource management organisations can work together for great outcomes.

• Aboriginal Cultures, General, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary, Video/Audio,
• All Regions,

The Kids Teaching Kids Program raises awareness and drives action on local and global environmental issues, helping the next generation of leaders who will take collective responsibility for our future.

By giving students the opportunity to present a workshop to others during Kids Teaching Kids Week or at one of the Kids Conferences, students see that they can have a positive impact on the world, starting in their own communities.

You could consider having a group of students present at a KTK workshop or run a KTK- inspired event at your school with cross-age learning or by gathering with other non-River Detective schools.

• General, Teacher, Website,
• All Regions,

Parks Victoria’s Junior Rangers website is a great resource with activity sheets and booklets found at the ‘Make and Do’ link.  Topics are wide-ranging but River Detective related content includes;  a river activity Booklet, pest animals, river red gums, pest plants and weeds, platypus and general activities related to nature studies that can be done at school, in backyards or at your water testing site.

• General, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Website,
• All Regions,

Thousands of free curriculum-linked resources for school teachers and students!  Search for the topic you require and there may be activities, lesson plans or videos ready for you to use.

• All, General, Website,
• All Regions,

Cool Australia has been supporting teachers since 2008, providing them with learning activities and resources that make teaching and understanding real world scenarios as easy as possible.

Units, lessons and activities are Australian curriculum aligned and FREE to educators and students. You can choose to follow full units of study or pick individual lessons to fit in with your curriculum.

There are a multitude of resources from a variety of curriculum areas that provide content aligned with topics covered by the River Detectives program.

• All, General, Website,
• All Regions,

This video explains how River Detectives schools can be integrally involved in river health projects when they partner with NCCMA projects and local Landcare groups.  See examples of how Woodend and Goornong primary schools enjoy participating.

• All, General, Video/Audio,
• North Central CMA,

The North Central Waterwatch Program aims to increase the knowledge and skills of community, supporting them to become custodians of local waterways.  River Detectives is the school/youth based component of the program. This video will help your students understand the community of passionate people that they belong to by being a River Detective.

• All, General, Video/Audio, Water Science, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This beautiful poster can be used for inspiration to make a similar resource for a year in the life of your own waterway.  Use words and pictures to document seasonal changes in weather, fauna, flora, water, land, agriculture and community life.

• All, General, Poster,
• All Regions,

This will help you to enter data into the website once you have been to site to collect it!

• General, Guide/Activity booklet, Teacher,
• All Regions,

Landcare represents thousands of people across Victoria, working together to increase biodiversity and promote the sustainable management of land.

Find out what your local group is doing and how your River Detectives program might be able to get involved.

To find your local group visit the Landcare Gateway and search for the group nearest you by name, postcode or map location.

• All, General, Website,
• All Regions,

Be inspired by activity ideas linked to the Australian curriculum in the Learning Centre, at Just For Kids with great activities for home and school and check out the 25 Junior Landcare Ideas encouraging Junior Landcarers to take action to protect the world around them.

There are also fantastic grant opportunities for schools, youth groups, early learning centres and landcare groups.

• Activity Sheet, All, General, Guide/Activity booklet, Website,
• All Regions,

The ResourceSmart Schools and River Detectives programs work well side by side helping you achieve parts of the Water, Biodiversity and Waste modules !

Watch this webinar to learn about how the River Detectives program can help schools achieve water, biodiversity and waste actions so the two programs can work smarter, not harder!

All program links are documented here.

And check out how River Detectives schools fared at the 2024 ResourceSmart Schools awards!

• General, Teacher, Video/Audio, Website,
• All Regions,

Engaging activities to stimulate minds and consolidate learning in those idle moments in your classroom schedule

• All, Game, General, Guide/Activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,