Come Eco-Exploring the Currumbin Estuary!
For 5-9 year olds. $15 per child, per session.
Testimonials | View photos from our previous eco-exploring adventures | Read About Our Latest Adventures!
View our December Flyer and January Flyer
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL – See below for payment options and contact details
If you are looking for something active and a little bit different for the children to do this school holidays, enrol them in Eco-Explorers.
A lifelong interest in the amazing Gold Coast environment could begin with Eco-Explorer adventures in the Currumbin Estuary.
Due to popular demand the Magical Mangroves and Suprising Shorebirds sessions will be repeated in the December school holidays and Extraordinary Estuaries will be repeated in the January school holidays. We will also have three new and exciting Eco-Explorer adventures - Tremendous Trees, Lively Leaves and Wonderful Water – designed for children between the ages of 5 and 9.
Children love being real explorers and getting to know nature’s secrets in their own backyard. Feedback from the children and their parents is very positive, with some junior explorers coming back each school holidays to do it all again!
Children will learn about and explore the natural environment of Currumbin Estuary through games, creative arts and nature-based activities.
Eco-Explorers, developed by GeckoEd and led by environmental educators, aims to provide quality, fun activity programs during the School holidays.
Children must wear hats and closed shoes that can get wet; sunscreen and insect repellant are also advised. Parents are welcome to come along and be involved.
To book your child in, please click here and fill out the booking form. Payment can be made as per the details below…
For more information email Eco-Explorers[at]gecko[dot]org[dot]au Coordinator, Lynne Hargreaves or phone 0412 343 115 .
Payment Options
Cash or cheque
Delivered to the Gecko office at Gecko House, between Monday and Friday, 10am-3pm. Or post a cheque made out to ‘Gecko’ to Gecko House, 139 Duringan St., Currumbin Q 4223.
Credit Card
Come in, or phone in (5534 1412), with your credit card details.
Internet
Pay by bank transfer into our ANZ account. So that we know what the money is for, leave a reference note with your deposit, e.g.: “Explorers” and your name.
Direct Deposit
Visit any ANZ branch and deposit direct into our account. You are only able to leave a number as a reference with this type of deposit, so please leave your phone number as the reference.
Our ANZ bank details are as follows:
BSB No: 014-688
Account No:497639765
Account Name:Gecko
Eco-Explorers: Reconnecting Children with Nature
By Lois Levy
GeckoEd, the education team within Gecko has been conducting short holiday programs for children since December 2010. The aim of the programs is to introduce children to the environmental delights of our beautiful Currumbin Estuary through exploring the area and reconnecting them with nature. The programs will run again over the coming Christmas holidays on 12th , 13th , 14th December and again 9th, 10th, 11th January.
The programs are designed around the components of the web of life, with themes such as Extraordinary Estuaries; Surprising Shorebirds; Amazing Animals; Marvellous Mangroves; Tremendous Trees; Lively Leaves; and Wonderful Water.
The expeditions are for two hours and include using the senses to explore nature, play games and create natural art to share with their family and friends. Different programs are offered each day so that children can attend all sessions and have fun learning something new and interesting while getting exercise and fresh air.
In recent years there is an increasing amount of literature on the negative impacts of the reduced time children are spending outdoors and interacting with the natural world. The disconnection with the natural environment robs children of discovering a whole world of fascinating interactions of animals and plants, and the basics of life on this planet. Richard Louv, has coined the term “ nature deficit disorder” to describe the shrinking opportunities of today’s children to learn about the planet which supports them. In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Louv makes a powerful case for engaging children with nature to find freedom of expression, fantasy and privacy to just sit and think.
The benefits of connecting with nature are many, including increasing imaginative play and creativity, resilience in coping with life’s trials, getting exercise, improving motor skills, reducing symptoms of attention deficit disorder, boosting intelligence by heightening the senses and thinking for oneself. In addition there is the opportunity to get to know about the beauty of nature and rejuvenate the spirit.
Today’s world too often has children kept too safe and not allowed them to take risks and learn to survive. There are now actions being taken around the world to get children outside so they can learn about nature and value it. If today’s children don’t know how nature works, they cannot value it and will not attempt to conserve it for future generations. Eco-Explorers is Gecko’s contribution to improving the mental and physical health of children while having fun and learning about how fascinating and ever changing nature is in our backyard.
