Blenheim School: Kaitiaki for the awa
Tamariki at Blenheim School have been thinking about how they care for a place that is very special to their school: The Taylor River.
The Envirogroup got together to think about kaitiakitanga, and talked about all of the different kaitiaki that care for the Taylor awa. These include ātua (e.g.: Tangaroa and Tamanuiterā), taonga species (e.g. tuna | eels), iwi/mana whenua, council, and community members. The students discovered that they can be kaitiaki for the awa too, as the more kaitiaki the awa has, the healthier the awa will be! They all had loads of examples of why the river is special to them. It turns out that they have already been doing some things to look after it, such as ‘womble walks’ to pick up rubbish, and helping to plant seeds in the new wildflower beds near their school. The Envirogroup thought of some more things that they can do to help too, and they are excited about spending more time caring for the awa in 2020.