Message from the Educator

WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?

Looking for Eels at Mt Biggs School

Enviroschool Mt Biggs have a great wilderness area at the back of their grounds which they are restoring to create more habitat for native animals. This area also includes an awesome pond which the senior students were sure that eels were living in. Together with Horizons senior scientist Mike Patterson, we set some nets and fish traps overnight to catch what might be living there. Excitedly, the traps resulted in a number of shortfin eels, including one which was about one meter in length, which is large for a shortfin eel. Mike also showed the students how to tell the difference between our eel species, and the students interviewed him for a short documentary they are making on the eels show to the rest of the school at assembly.

Primary Science Week with Terrace End School

In May I was invited to Terrace End School to be part of their science week activities. Lots of schools have great outdoor spaces with lots of animals inhabiting them. After talking about the role that bugs have in our ecosystems, I ran an activity for the students to find them in different parts of their grounds. The students were surprised there were so many bugs living close to all their play equipment.

Celebrating Matariki with Native Plantings at Ahimate Park

Traditionally Matariki signals the time to gather and preserve traditional crops. New trees were also planted to signal new beginnings. As part of their own Matariki celebrations, over 100 students from Somerset Crescent and Riverdale Schools came to Ahimate Park to plant natives around the new dog park. They made fast work and got the plants in the ground in record time. On this warm and sunny day, Somerset Crescent School also took the opportunity to explore more of the park, taking in the new boardwalks, and then walked along the Manawatū River to the new bridge He Ara Kotahi.

Students Gather for an Enviro-Themed Hui 

Last year we held our first student wero conference which was organised by students from Palmerston North Girls High School (PNGHS). Participants at that hui decided they wanted this to be a regular event, so this year’s hui was held last month. Around 50 students from Ross Intermediate School, Freyberg High School and PNGHS attended. Students discussed current environmental issues such as climate change, and looked at some of the best ways to address these individually, in the school, and in their communities. The students and teachers also took a trip to Manchester Street School in Feilding, where the students were given a tour of the school by student leaders, teachers and the Principal. This school has been an Enviroschool for many years and have embedded sustainability practices throughout the school very well which gave the visiting students ideas to take back to their respective Enviroschool.  

Enviroschools Receive Funding for Sustainability Projects

A number of our Enviroschools were recipients of grants from either the Horizons Community Grants Fund, or the Enviroschools Action Fund. Community fund recipients:

• Nga Tawa Diocesan School are receiving funding for native trees to help restore the native area in the school;
• Hunterville School are purchasing traps for their school trapping programme.

Enviroschools in Palmerston North were able to access grants for up to $1,000 to support projects in the Enviroschools five theme areas. Full write ups from these projects will be available at the end of the school year but here is a taster of what they have used their funding on:

• Monrad Intermediate School have purchased fruit trees to set up their own orchard;
• Palmerston North Girls High School used the funding towards a new glasshouse;
• Ross Intermediate School have purchased two Hungry bin worm farms to tackle their food waste;
• Freyberg High School have brought recycling bins to action their waste streams.

Horizons Community Grants programme opens around March each year, for more information click here.

Ross Intermediate's First Enviro Day

Ross Intermediate School have strengthened their relationship with the community volunteers who look after Edwards Pit Park, situated next door to the school. The school have adopted a section of the park and recently held their first whole school Environmental Day where students completed a variety of activities at the park. Students were involved in planting, shifting dirt, litter picking, and activities to explore the park and its native vegetation in more detail. The school also found out that the community volunteers are in need of paper which they use for weed matting layers. For a school, paper is one of their biggest waste streams, so they are going to start collecting it for Pit Park to use. 

RESOURCES AND IDEAS

Need Trees for Free?

Trees That Count is a nationwide initiative to encourage more planting of native trees help improve our environment and reduce our impact on climate change. Since 2016 over 23 million trees have been recorded on the Trees That Count website. If you would like to add to the count then you can register online. Once your existing project is registered you have the opportunity to apply for free trees from the tree 'pool' for your next seasons planting.

Lisa Clapcott is the Manawatū representative for Trees That Count so if you have any questions give her a call at 027 224 1121, or email her at: lisa.clapcott@projectcrimson.org.nz 

Conservation Week/Te Wiki Tiaki Ao Tūroa 14-22 September 2019

Join DOC from 14–22 September to celebrate 50 years of Conservation Week! With more than 4,000 species threatened or at risk, nature needs us to take action now. You can take part by doing a conservation activity or attending an event.