An Aussie school has roped off its popular playground after a student made an incredible discovery in the sand. The play area will be out of bounds for at least a month while a hard-to-spot native bird uses it as a nesting area.
Bush stone-curlews, a ground-dwelling bird, are listed as endangered in New South Wales and Victoria, while in South Australia, they are a threatened species. Curlews are known to take up residence in car parks, workplaces, hospital grounds, caravan parks, and even schools, tending to prefer wide open spaces where they can spot predators from a distance. These two birds, affectionately named Kathy and Kenny however, picked a primary school playground and sandpit as their nesting area.
The discovery prompted the school to declare the area out of bounds for at least four weeks while the phenomenon persists and potentially affects play activities and safety. The closure affects the sandpit zone of the outdoor play area, limiting student access during recess and playtimes until conditions change and the site is deemed safe for regular use again. The temporary restriction reflects management of unexpected environmental factors impacting play space availability.
