Posted: 12 December 2006
12 recognised at first regional Enviroschools awards
Twelve Northland schools have been recognised for a range of environmental initiatives - including turning a swampy paddock into a thriving wetland - at the region’s first Enviroschools Awards.
Enviroschools is a whole-school approach to environmental education, encouraging student-driven action, based on sustainable management of resources in several key areas of school life.
The nationwide programme originated through Hamilton City Council in 1993 and there are now 400-plus Enviroschools in New Zealand, including more than 20 in Northland.
The Northland Regional Council – which played a key role in bringing Enviroschools north in 2003 – says the Enviroschools Awards are designed as an incentive scheme for schools.
“The awards are a national scheme designed to encourage schools to become actively involved in environmental education and to undertake environmental initiatives that will make a real difference in their communities,” Regional Council Environmental Education Officer Susan Karels says.
“The awards scheme works by involving the whole school community - students, teachers, non-teaching staff, trustees and members of the local community.
Mrs Karels says there are three levels of awards; ‘bronze’, ‘silver’ and the highest, seldom-awarded ‘green-gold’.
This year the Regional Council (which co-ordinates the Enviroschools programme locally) and Ministry of Education advisory arm Team Solutions (which facilitates the programme in schools) joined forces to run the inaugural Northland awards.
Two schools –Hurupaki and Kaeo Primaries – received silver awards at a special ceremony in Whangarei recently for their long-running and extended environmental work. The remaining 10 schools were presented with bronze awards.
Mrs Karels says over the past several years Hurupaki School students and local community members have worked together to turn a swampy paddock into a thriving ecosystem and outdoor classroom.
“Kaeo School has implemented a number of initiatives including a ‘towards zero waste programme’ and researched saving Northland kiwi (including producing flyers and a school website programme).”
Mrs Karels says the remaining, bronze award recipients, were recognised for a diverse range of projects with environmental themes. She says the Regional Council and Team Solutions plan to hold the awards annually.
“They are an excellent way to recognise our young people for their tremendous efforts to enhance their local environments. Everyone who is involved in the Enviroschools programme is taking important steps to guide their local community to adopt sustainable lifestyles that will improve and enhance the environment for present and future generations.”
Award Winners
A list of award-winning schools – and a brief overview of their projects – is included below.
Far North (bronze awards)
Ahipara School has implemented a school-wide recycling system and continues its work to care for the Wairoa River.
Ohaeawai School is working towards becoming a ‘zero waste’ school and has set up a sustainable recycling centre.
Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Pukemiro has become part of the ‘Experiencing Marine Reserves’ programme. Children are also helping to regenerate toheroa via a pingao planting project.
Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o te Tonga o Hokianga has begun to take special care of its local river and children have also have designed and created entrance gardens containing Maori medicinal plants, vegetables and native plants.
Te Kura Taumata o Panguru has been investigating and reporting on a range of environmental issues from native plants and traditional medicines to organic gardening, water weeds, climate change and land ownership and land use.
Te Kura o Waikare has been learning how to respect and care for local creeks and rivers. Students also presented at the 2006 Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand (ECO) conference in the South Island.
Far North (silver award)
Kaeo School has implemented a number of initiatives including a ‘towards zero waste programme’ and researched saving Northland kiwi (including producing flyers and a school website programme).
Whangarei (bronze award)
Mangakahia Area School environmental action projects have focused on turning various ‘nothing’ areas into a Maori medicinal garden, colourful environmental murals and a native grove.
St Francis Xavier School students are keen recyclers and worm farmers. The students donated tiger worms to the women’s refuge centre so that it could set up a worm farm too.
Whangarei (silver award)
Hurupaki School students and local community members worked together to turn a swampy paddock into a thriving ecosystem and outdoor classroom. Students have also solved waste management problems at the school by setting up a new recycling system.
Kaipara (bronze award)
Dargaville High School students have been working on freshwater monitoring analysis and improvement projects for the past three years involving Kai Iwi Lakes, Waipoua and Waimata Streams and the Gordon Street Reserve. These ongoing environmental projects see students carrying out work in the field, in class and in the laboratory.
Otamatea High School has ‘adopted’ a large area of community land adjacent to the school. The group secured funding and senior students set about fencing off a wetland area and an estuary whilst gaining NCEA credits for their work.