Local school students will benefit from the annual Beach to Bush program.
Surf Life Saving NSW’s flagship educational program, Beach to Bush, has hit the road again for 2024, with a host of volunteer lifesavers heading inland to promote surf safety to primary school students across regional and rural NSW.
Over the coming three weeks, more than 11,300 students will attend an Ingenia Holiday Parks Beach to Bush session with just under 100 schools slated to participate in what is the 31st year of the program.
The program will be visiting local students in Woodstock, Cumnock, Trundle, Orange and Spring Hill in the week commencing Monday, 18th November.
For many, this will be their first interaction with the iconic red and yellow surf lifesavers. Students attending the program learn about the role of surf lifesavers, why they should always swim between the red and yellow flags, how to spot a rip current, what to do if they get into trouble at the beach and the different types of marine life along the coast. Lifesavers also talk about the hazards of inland waterways.
Children from regional and rural parts of NSW are often at higher risk than those from coastal locations because they are less familiar with the beach and unaware of potential surf dangers.
The key aquatic safety messages from the program can also be applied to rivers, dams, pools and other inland waterways.
“It is Surf Life Saving NSW’s vision that every student has access to important coastal safety information – regardless of the size of their school,” SLSNSW Community Education Manager, Anika Ferrari said.
“Every year more and more families are heading to the coast for holidays. Educating young Australians in safe beach practices is vital. Some children who attend a session have never actually been to the coast or swum in the ocean, let alone learned about rip currents and dangerous marine species.