Montessori Keep New Zealand Beautiful
Keep New Zealand Beautiful is a nationwide not-for-profit organisation that encourages communities to engage in activities promoting environmental stewardship. It focuses on reducing waste, recycling, planting trees, and beautifying local areas. The initiative helps foster a sense of pride in New Zealand’s natural environment and encourages everyone, especially young tamariki, to participate in actions that create a more sustainable future. Through hands-on projects, children can learn the importance of environmental care, laying the foundation for them to become kaitiaki (guardians) of the land.
During Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up week, the tamariki at Montessori explored ways to care for Papatūānuku by making their very own beeswax wraps. The tamariki were fascinated as the kaiako introduced the idea of replacing plastic wrap with a natural, reusable alternative—beeswax wraps. Each child selected their own piece of fabric, and together they melted the beeswax. With careful hands, the tamariki used the brush to paint the fabric with wax. They then watched it transform into something that could be used over and over again to wrap their kai in.
Making beeswax wraps enabled the tamariki to practice independence and develop fine motor skills. While also gaining an understanding of their role in caring for environment. The concept of kaitiakitanga is deeply embedded in this activity. Tamariki are taking responsibility for making sustainable choices, which contributes to the global effort to protect our Planet Earth. By introducing tamariki to sustainable pratices like reducing single use plastic, they are empowering them to be active participants in creating a more sustainable future. The children were proud of their beeswax wraps and eager to take them home to show their whānau. Through this project, tamariki are becoming kaitiaki of their world. They are learning that even small actions can make a big difference in protecting the environment.
This activity brought joy and instilled a strong sense of environmental stewardship.
‘I am saving the Papatūānuku today.’ Grace said.
‘Me too, I am not hurting the earth.’ Frankie agreed with Grace.
Nova told us:’ We are making beeswax wrap because we are not making rubbish any more.’
Amelia said:’ we can save the planet, not getting the plastic yogurt at supermarket.’
Cleaning up beyond the gate
A group of kaitiaki also helped to tidy up the area outside the Montessori gates by picking up rubbish. They found lots of little pieces of plastic, newspapers, bottle tops, muesli bar wrappers and other materials that would take a long time to decompose. “These people putting rubbish on the ground are not being very responsible” said Olivia. What a fantastic way to show their commitment to keeping our environment beautiful and clean – even beyond the school gates!
Story supplied by Montessori