Meet the teacher who planted over 60 thousand trees
By Jennifer McMillan 14 November 2022
Keith Brown was a teacher for over four decades. Starting his teaching career in Papua New Guinea in 1968, he returned to his hometown in Perth, Western Australia, showing thousands of young people they can make a difference in their communities.
At Coogee Primary School, Keith led a 10-year project regenerating two hectares of degraded land. The striated pardalote returned to the school grounds where it had not been seen for over 15 years. A ‘living library’ was created for students to learn about the environment with a more ‘hands on’ approach. Students were taught how to plant correctly to ensure high survival rates.
The benefits of the many trees planted decades ago are now being enjoyed by the next generation. One Eucalyptus camaldulensis seedling was planted in 1954 by the Queen when Keith was just 13. Now it takes his 13 year old granddaughter, Alexia, six hugs to get around the tree.
Tips on how to start an environmental initiative at your school or in your community
Be enthusiastic
While a sense of wonder about the natural world comes instinctively to most children, research has found that young people who experience direct contact with nature are more likely to develop a life-long respect and value for the existence of natural areas and the habitats they support. A former student who participated in ‘tree planting camps’ planting 6,000 to 8,000 trees a day still talks to Keith about the positive impact this had 20 years on.
Having always been fascinated by the world around him, Keith says it’s impossible not to be struck by a sense of wonder, “trees collect invisible ingredients and make mangoes, carrots and firewood. Even with mathematics you can have a sense of wonder.”
Be prepared to be active
Research by Planet Ark shows kids are spending more time indoors compared to their parents. Planting Trees: Just What the Doctor Ordered shows spending time outside in nature is good not only for the body but the mind as well. It can help improve concentration, increase feelings of self-worth, reduce stress and increase critical thinking skills in children.
When Keith was working on a planting project with his students in Port Headland, one of the kids looked at him and said, “this has been the best day of my life”. Young people want to improve the world in whatever way they can be guided to do so, “once kids have planted a few trees, they’re never quite the same. They feel like they’ve had an impact on the world.”
Help students learn about sustainability by practicing it
Keith is a firm believer in the possibility of one person making a difference and he says it’s a privilege to be able to demonstrate positive environmental actions to young people to spark their interest.
“Once they realise that the plants have got names, like Melaleuca huegii, they learn a bit about the plant and its flowering, they start to take an interest in how it’s going.”
One of the most enjoyable aspects of his job was watching students become confident in their own abilities.
“It’s all about self-belief. If you tell them: I think you can do it, then they start to believe in themselves.”
Jen worked as a vet nurse while studying environmental science and completing her master's degree in Journalism. She loves bushwalking, storytelling, caring for baby animals, Australian birds and river red gums. Jen works on the National Tree Day campaign and Planet Ark's Seedling Bank.
