Schools share NRC environmental awards

 

Projects including farm fertiliser runoff monitoring and a stoat and rat trapping programme to boost kiwi numbers are among 24 school initiatives to share $20,000 in this year’s Northland Regional Council Environmental Curriculum Awards (ECAs).

The annual awards aim to foster excellence in environmental education, with schools eligible for up to $2000 each for their efforts to educate children ‘in, about and for’ the region’s environment.

This year 23 recipients will receive between $230 and $1550 each for their projects.

Regional council chairman Bill Shepherd and Councillor Craig Brown – who selected this year’s winners – were once again impressed by the scope and quality of projects which will see the enthusiastic involvement of hundreds of people across entire school communities.

Councillor Shepherd says the ECAs recognise and support the environmental education efforts put in by about 2000 students in 112 classes and/or school student environmental groups.

Councillor Brown says he’s pleased to see a good geographic spread among the winners, with seven winning schools based in the Far North, 12 in the Whangarei district and four in Kaipara.

Locally, Otamatea High School received $310 for funding towards a paper brick-making project where a hundred students will be involved turning used school paper into bricks to sell to the community as fuel for fires.

Stage one of a butterfly habitat will see One Tree Point School receive $1200 funding. This project grew out of student concern about butterfly habitat loss.

Ruakaka School’s Birds & Bees project will benefit from $550 for its chook run and wildflower planting.