15 May 2025

Displayed along the Southern Drive of this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show were the school entries for the Sustainable Scarecrow Competition. The Garden Superheroes theme ‘encouraged participants to design scarecrows that embody heroic figures protecting gardens from pests and promoting plant health’.

Among the 50 entries from Victorian schools – showcasing superhero scarecrows made from repurposed, recycled and reused materials – were creations from Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) schools that were awarded second and third place, as well as the People’s Choice Award.

In second place was ‘Texta Robo Bob’, created by students from ResourceSmart School – St Joseph’s School, Sorrento. Sustainability student leaders and participants in a lunchtime art club made their scarecrow from only recycled materials.

The materials used included cans, textas, bread tags and knitting needles. The bird and flowers were made from sauce bottles, the foam came from packaging for some recently purchased Chromebooks, a broken extendable paint rod was used for the armature and an old watering can was used for the head.

‘Brigitron’ from St Brigid’s School, Gisborne, came in third place with students showing their passion for sustainable living, creating, nature, gardening and outdoor learning. The students worked collaboratively and imbued their creation with natural elements to honour the patron saint of their school who loved nature.

‘I loved making Brigitron with our team and sharing lots of my ideas to make her so great. Our best idea was using the natural items, like the bark we found, to make Brigid’s eternal flame and her flame crown. St Brigid loved nature and she is our school’s superhero. We loved visiting her at the flower show and seeing all the other schools’ creations’, said student, Beau.

The general public cast their votes at the show for their favourite superhero scarecrow, with Emma Vulin MP awarding People’s Choice to ‘Captain Defender’ – the creation of St Augustine’s Primary School, Keilor.

An enthusiastic team of students representing the three 3/4 classes worked on building a scarecrow that fit the brief of being a superhero made using recycled products. Many of the students willingly gave up their lunchbreaks to work on the project.

‘Captain Defender’ represented the bees who, the students felt, are the real superheroes of not only the garden, but the planet. Many ideas were considered and discussed, and it was a fantastic opportunity for students’ collaborative and creative skills to be on display. One student eagerly knitted garbage bags to create a vest, a handbag was made to represent a beehive and a wand to entice the bees added to the incredible creation.

The students and teachers all felt incredibly proud, and have been encouraged to look at other opportunities to integrate their sustainability knowledge and help make a difference for our planet. Captain Defender will now take pride of place in the school’s garden.

Through opportunities like these, MACS schools are fostering creativity, sustainability, teamwork and community to enable our students to flourish and enrich the world.