“The visions we have for the future affect what we think is worth doing in the present”
In term one this year the Redwoodtown Kindergarten teaching team set about creating an Enviroschools vision. They considered what was important to them, the tamariki, whānau and community. Some of the actions that they identified after brainstorming around the Enviroschools Guiding Principles were to strengthen their community relationships, create more gardens and set up a koha table - a place to share produce and kai. To say that it has been a busy year for the team would be an understatement. They have worked hard to make these goals become a reality.
Mara Kai
Having been growing kai in a...
Read More 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...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Grovetown Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Grovetown Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are 3...
Read More With a new team of teachers at Redwoodtown Kindergarten and a passion to do more for Te Taiao they invited Ramona in to re engage the Kindergarten with the Enviroschools Kaupapa.
They started with getting familiar with the Enviroschools Guiding Principles. They then identified all that they were already doing as well as some areas that they would like to strengthen. This then led them to looking at their environment and brainstorming how they would like the place to look, feel and sound. The combination of this information supported the team to develop and identify areas to take action.
Some of the key areas were Strengthening community relationships
Growing their cultural awareness
Growing/providing kai for...
Read More Every Wednesday morning a volunteer team calling themselves the Wetland Warriors meet at Grovetown Lagoon to plant natives, weed, clear paths, raise plants and trap pests to protect the beautiful environment around the Lagoon.
This term on partnership with Junior Landcare, Envirogroup’s have the opportunity to work alongside the Wetland Warriors (WW) volunteers while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important. Unfortunately the first session was called off due to wet weather, and so in the first week of June Tua Marina and Waikawa Bay Schools became the first groups of students to join the WW team. Their job for the morning was to plant grasses and trees on the banks of...
Read More The students at Waikawa Bay School have been learning about the values of Matariki with a focus on tuarua - giving back.
Free Fair at Waikawa Bay School The first three weeks of term 2 students explored what it means to help and support others. They explored ways that appreciation can be shown and developed an understanding of how in working together as a community everyone is valued. Ideas came flooding in as to how the school could say thank you to the people and local community groups that had given time, shared their knowledge and expertise, donated sports and classroom equipment, and funding for projects. The ideas were sorted and grouped together...
Read More If you haven’t visited Kahikatea Reserve between Springcreek and Tua Marina, you must put it on your to-do list! This 20 year restoration of bare pasture land features beautiful Rimu, Totara, Kahikatea, Matai, Manuka, Tarata, Lancewood, Harakeke, Kawakawa, Koromiko and a myriad of other natives. The aim of the restoration is to return the land to its origins of a lowland swamp ngahere dominated by the mighty Kahikatea of which there are only 3 semi-mature trees left standing on the Wairau Plains. This was the backdrop of a planting project with Tua Marina and Springcreek Schools. Unfortunately, a small fire destroyed part of the restoration late last year. The crew of Landscape Marlborough wanted to...
Read More Term 4 and 1 are always favourites in the Kids Edible Gardens calendar as there is so much to harvest. There is nothing better than fresh peas, broad beans (and their leaves), crunchy lettuce and broccoli eaten in the garden. School kitchens get a work out too – vegetable fritters and stir-fry’s are whipped up and lettuce wraps are folded. Apples cooked into crumbles or roasted potatoes have everyone’s mouth watering. As well as an oldie but a goodie, pikelets with cream and fresh berries from the garden. Once the children at Picton School have finished their gardening jobs they aim to deliver vegetables to the Picton School Kitchen to be used in their school...
Read More 
