Common Grounds means networking with school communities in northern metropolitan Melbourne. MCMC connects school communities by developing a visit plan designed to inspire you. Looking at established indigenous school gardens for those beginning to plan builds confidence about real life examples of success. Hosting visitors reinforces achievements, triggers new plans and prompts attention to extension and maintenance. We work with individual schools to prioritise their own motivations and quirky sites. We support the Kids Teaching Kids model and help navigate funding, design, master planning, plant lists and multiple curriculum connections.

Participating school communities who create indigenous gardens contribute to the expansion and integrity of the flora and fauna of the Merri Creek Catchment and its waterways. Supporting indigenous gardens in schools helps acknowledge Traditional Owners and recognise Wurundjeri Country.

CASE STUDY: Brunswick North West Primary School students visited indigenous grasslands in a wild state along Merri Creek as well as at Bell Primary School in Preston before they converted a huge area of concrete, bitumen and debris with a grant to focus on water. After an intensive design process involving the whole school, 3,300 indigenous plants were planted by the whole school community to create a living outdoor education area. This new asset was then named Yakai Barring (Woiwurrung for 'surprise track') to recognise Wurundjeri Country. The school proudly hosts visits through Common Grounds.

CASE STUDY: MCMC created a tour of indigenous gardens in schools for representatives of Thornbury Primary School. Afterwards they successfully sought a grant to remove introduced plant species, bitumen and concrete from the school's entrance and celebrated NAIDOC Week with digging, mulching and planting to make a new indigenous garden.