Alma Public School students spent their Tuesday morning learning about the damage fruit flies cause, and more importantly were taught the skills to build traps in a bid to halt the pests.
Garden teacher Zac Smith has been teaching the kids all about fruit fly in an effort to ensure less local fruit is destroyed by the flies.
“It is all about food conservation,” Mr Smith told us.
“Last year we had a severe outbreak of fruit fly in our apricot trees, and we lost a lot of fruit. This year we’re starting with trapping nice and early so that doesn’t happen again. And we thought it would be great for the kids to learn how to do it,” Mr Smith says.
The kids seemed to be having a blast as they got to work creating their very own fruit fly traps.
The fruit fly issue has been particularly highlighted by Broken Hill City councillors Ron Page, Dave Gallagher and Alan Chandler, who have formed the Fruit Fly Working Group charged with the task of eliminating them.
“We got out ahead of it and we’ll be ready when they come. We just need all Broken Hill to get on board.”
“It is fantastic news that Alma Public School is getting involved today, because they will be the driving force of it. When they go home and tell mum and dad about it, it’ll be a huge benefit as we tackle the fruit fly issue,” Cllr Page told us.
Although it has been slow going for the working group so far, Mr Page believes the head start they’ve got this year got will hold them in good stead in their mission to eradicate fruit fly.
“It is good the kids are involved today. Things have been pretty slow, but we got out ahead of it and we’ll be ready when they come. We just need all Broken Hill to get on board,” Mr Page said.
“One school is great, but if we can get all the schools involved that would be brilliant. If they want to get involved all they have to do is give me a call.”
If you are a local school, business or resident and you want to get involved in the eradication of fruit flies in Broken Hill, give Cllr Page a call on 0428 288 777.
