ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Ngā Huinga Student Wai Hui

What an awesome day was had by all in Taumarunui in early April where we were joined by Ngāti Hāua, DOC, Ruapehu District Council and Veolia to run a student hui all about wai. This was our first big event in the area and we were buoyed by the excitement and enthusiasm of the schools and educators.

Approx. 70 students from 10 schools from the Taumarunui area joined us at Nga Huinga/Cherry Grove to learn about area and complete a range of activities around water and its health and conservation.

Ngāti Hāua used augmented reality to about the history of the area and naming of the different local sites. DOC talked about the impact of introduced pests on our ecosystems including the gold clam which is a freshwater pest not currently in our region but has been found in neighbouring Waikato.

Ruapehu District Council ran waste themed activities and talked about alternative choices to non-recyclable plastics, and Veolia, who look after the district councils three waters (waste, storm and drinking), showed students where their water comes from, the bores and aquifers located around the area, and what happens when anything other than the '3 Ps' (poo, pee and paper!) gets into the wastewater pipe network. Lastly, we helped students to identify native and introduced fish, which ended with students playing a ‘hook a pest’ game which was very entertaining to watch. BBQ lunch provided by Green by Nature kept everyone’s bellies full.

The day ended in students making a pledge to what they can do as individuals, and as a school/kura to support water health in 2025.

Awahou School join TRIBE

Awahou School has had a a long standing relationships with Tōtara Reserve. Over the years students have participated in planting days and more recently contributed by running activities at the last two Tōtara Reserve Open Days.

In term one senior students took this partnership further by joining TRIBE - Tōtara Reserve Indigenous Biodiversity Enhancement. This group undertakes a variety of mahi in the reserve on the second Tuesday of every month.

During a recent session students tackled the task of locating mānuka seedlings that had been planted during last year’s Tōtara Reserve Open Day. They navigated their way through pest plants to hunt for the seedlings, and carefully placed stakes next to them so they are easier to locate in the future. They also removed the weeds to give the seedlings the space they need to flourish.

Then students revisited an area they planted back in 2021 checking on a variety of native trees. While these were much larger, some were still struggling due to the overcrowding weeds. Students cleared the weeds and smaller trees were also staked to more easily locate next time.

Awahou School is committed to continuing this amazing mahi, and ensuring all students have the opportunity to preserve and maintain this treasured place. The school encourages other schools to join the TRIBE or similar volunteering groups to take some action and make a difference.

ENVIROSCHOOLS

New Enviroschools 

A warm welcome to our new Enviroschools:

Kopane school and Levin North School

We held a number of big Enviroschools events last term, read all about them below.

Tino pai 💚

Seaweek Horowhenua

Despite bad weather delaying this year's Seaweek celebrations, the anticipation paid off as the event finally took place few weeks later at Waitārere Beach. It brought together secondary school students from the Horowhenua District who are part of the Enviroschools programme, offering a memorable and educational experience.

We started off with a welcome from Justin Tamihana from Ngāti Huia ki Poroutāwhao who shared about the area before students participated in sessions with a coastal theme.

Students learnt about marine mammals and and what to do if they come across a stranded one with Project Jonah. The Cancer Society talked about getting sun smart, and the different types of UV rays. Students were then able to make key chains with bead that help to detect UV exposure. Horizons biodiversity team talked about dune ecology and the restoration work going on in the area.

Students ended the day with a scavenger hunt and completing a pledge card about what actions they can take to protect te taiao (nature) and te moana (the ocean) based on what they have learnt from the day.

The day was made possible with collaboration from Horowhenua District Council, iwi and the amazing educators from Horizons Regional Council, Enviroschools, Project Jonah and the Cancer Society.

Regional ECE Enviroschools Hui

Beautiful weather was had at Tōtara Reserve this half term holidays for our biannual regional Enviroschools early childhood education (ECE) teachers hui at Camp Rangi Woods. Over 60 ECE teachers, new entrant school teachers , facilitators and other educators join us for a day looking at the Enviroschools resource Living Landscapes through an ECE lens.

With the native bush of Tōtara Reserve serving as the back drop to this hui, it was a perfect place to unpack how we experience and strengthen our connections to the land that nurtures us, and to all the creatures that inhabit it with us.

Attendees moved through rotations exploring minibeasts, manu (birds), going on a native tree hikoi, building wetā motels, harakeke weaving, and sharing what they already do in their centre/school to support connections to nature, and the resources they use.

We were also excited to have Katie Higgins and Roimata Macfarlane from the national Enviroschools team join us for the day to unpack some of the key concepts of living landscapes resource and some of the activities in the kit. Overwhelming feedback from teachers focused on enjoying connecting with others, and of having their cups filled with activities and ideas to take back to their centres.

IDEAS & RESOURCES

Funding Opportunities

Horizons Regional Council has two community grants open now for applications.

Kanarau Koiora Taketake Indigenous Biodiversity Community Grant - This contestable fund is open for applications for community-led projects that support communities to reconnect with and improve indigenous biodiversity and those that support the regeneration and continuation of mātauranga Māori.

Pūtea Hapori Urupare Āhuarangi Community Climate Response Fund – This contestable fund is open for climate related projects that aim to support and encourage community efforts to build resilience to the effects of climate change or support the transition to a sustainable carbon neutral regional economy by 2050.

For more information or to apply go here. If you need help with your application please feel free to get in touch.