Lilydale High School's Reptile House was created 16 years ago with a small collection of animals in a science classroom with a handful of students taking care of those animals 3 lunchtimes a week. Today the program houses more than 200 animals consisting of more than 60 species of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates and is one of signature programs of the school. The animals are cared for by a
dedicated team of about 30 students who commit their time to caring for these animals during lunchtimes, after school, on weekends and in holidays. We reportedly have the largest collection of reptiles and amphibians in a school in Australia and are lucky enough to keep species rarely seen in captivity or on public display. Our aim is to get students excited about Australia's Native Reptiles and Amphibians. We want to provide them with opportunities to observe and interact with these fascinating and often misunderstood animals and in doing so, spark their natural fascination for our amazing wildlife. We want our students and everyone who visits the Reptile House to gain a greater appreciation for the animals that play a key role in Australia’s natural environment. We provide the highest quality care for our animals and, in doing so, we model this level of care for animals to our students so they in turn will respect their animals and teach others the same. The Reptile House program teachers students valuable skills in animal care, team work, leadership, responsibility, empathy and initiative. Furthermore, it has given students a sense of belonging and ownership in a program that sees students mentoring other students based on experience rather than age and has shown deep levels of engagement in learning for those participating in the program. All of this would not be possible if it wasn’t for the many hours of voluntary labour and countless contributions made by students and their families as well as the staff of Lilydale High School, the local community very importantly the broader Reptile and Amphibian Community. For more information on the program please contact Lilydale High School at http://lilydalehs.vic.edu.au
