Discovering swift parrots
Helping primary students meet one of Australia’s most threatened birds — and understand why protecting habitat matters.
Project at a glance
CLIENT
Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc. (MLi)
AUDIENCE
School teachers
Years 3–6
FOCUS
Threatened species
Conservation
Habitat
OUR ROLE
Research
Curriculum development
Writing
Graphic design
Interactive resources
2
education kits
5
key learning areas
3
interactive digital resources
Overview
With fewer than 500 individuals estimated to remain, the swift parrot is one of Australia’s most critically endangered birds. They are also fast, elusive and highly mobile, making it hard for students to experience first-hand.
So rather than simply presenting facts, we looked for ways to make the species something students could discover.
Storytelling, interactive activities, visual communication and hands-on learning were used alongside scientific information to create different entry points into the subject.
The result is a resource that allows teachers to use the material in different ways — through structured classroom lessons, self-directed digital activities or a combination of both.
The Challenge
Swift parrots are fast, elusive, and present in only a handful of regions each year. MLi engaged PeeKdesigns to develop an education resource about the critically endangered swift parrot (Lathamus discolor).
The challenge was to take complex conservation science and turn it into engaging, classroom-ready learning for primary students — while giving teachers resources that were easy to use and connected to the curriculum.
What the resource needed to do
- Translate complex ecology into age-appropriate learning
- Serve a wide age range (Year 3–6) with different needs
- Align with NSW and Australian Curriculum outcomes
- Work as both a classroom kit and a self-directed digital experience
- Be simple for teachers to download and deliver, with minimal prep
Conservation is easier to care about when you can understand the story behind it.
The Solution
PeeKdesigns developed two age-specific learning packages, giving teachers a progression from discovering the species to exploring the conservation challenges it faces.
YEAR 3–4
The Journey Begins
An introduction to the swift parrot — its appearance, habitat, migration, diet, breeding, life cycle, conservation status and the threats it faces.
YEAR 5–6
A Closer Look
A deeper exploration of taxonomy, adaptations, migration, food chains, pest species, climate change and conservation efforts.
Curriculum alignment
Every activity is mapped to NSW and Australian Curriculum outcomes across five Key Learning Areas:
Science
Geography
Creative Arts
English
Physical education
Bringing it to life digitally
The project extended beyond downloadable classroom resources with a suite of interactive digital experiences.
To achieve all this we turned complex science and real conservation projects into engaging learning opportunities.
Research
Working with information from conservation scientists and project partners.
Interpretation
Turning ecological concepts and conservation issues into age-appropriate content.
Design
Using visual communication and storytelling to make information accessible.
Interaction
Creating digital experiences that encourage students to explore, identify and test their knowledge.
Printed kits and interactive resources give teachers the flexibility to run a structured lesson, a self-paced digital activity, or a blend of both.
Outcome
Murrumbidgee Landcare now has a ready-to-deploy resource that makes a rare, hard-to-see species tangible for primary students — with the option to book a classroom visit from MLi’s education team for an in-person follow-up.
Discovering Swift Parrots formed part of the broader Saving Swift Parrots and Threatened Woodland Species program, a multi-partner conservation initiative focused on improving the long-term viability of swift parrots and other threatened species through habitat restoration and protection of mature feed trees.
For PeeKdesigns, this project brought together the things we love doing most: understanding complex environmental information, developing meaningful learning experiences and using design to help people connect with the natural world.
Helping the next generation understand not just what needs protecting — but why it matters.
Project partners
Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc., PeeKdesigns, Wildlife Drones, NSW Government, BirdLife Australia, Australian National University, Greening Australia, Bush Heritage Australia, Central Coast Council
