Enviroschools stories Archives - Enviroschools Marlborough

March 13, 2026

Sea Week at Whatamango Bay – QCC Rangatahi in Action

A group of 20 Year 7 and 8 rangatahi led by Di Huntly from Queen Charlotte College celebrated Sea Week the best way possible by getting wet, muddy, and hands-on with tuangi/cockle monitoring at Whatamango Bay. The beautiful rimurimu meadow of Whatamango Bay The day was a special collaboration with Glenis Paul from the NZ Marine Studies Centre, Kiara Duke-Love from Te Ātiawa, and the college, bringing together science, mātauranga Māori, and local knowledge in one learning experience. The morning began with Matua Neville Tahuaroa-Watson, who opened the day with a karakia and the laying of a treasured pou. This set the intentions for the mahi ahead and asked for the protection...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

March 13, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Sea Week at Waikawa Bay – Nature of Science in Action

For tamariki at Waikawa Bay School, the moana isn’t something far away; they can see it from their school grounds. It’s part of their everyday landscape, featuring in their murals, artwork, and local stories. So when Glenis Paul from the NZ Marine Studies Centre (Whakatū/Nelson) found time in her busy schedule to support learning during Sea Week, the school jumped at the opportunity. I was also keen to learn a thing or two and joined in for the morning! The focus was the Nature of Science, with students rotating through ten hands-on marine activities, each one deepening their understanding of the sandy bay close by.

: Glenis talking all things marine with tamariki

: Finding the most accurate way to measure the length paua shells

: Checking the temperature of several water samples

They explored the life cycle of crabs, learning how...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

March 11, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

KEGs at Seymour Kindergarten

Moisture testing Every Thursday morning Joy-Marie visits Seymour Kindergarten to facilitate the KEGs (Kids Edible Garden) programme. Joy facilitates a planned programme based around the garden as well as supports tamariki interests. Over the last few weeks she has been discussing 'water as energy for plants'. How water is essential for plants to grow and move nutrients throughout the plant. Each week tamariki have been testing the soil to see if it is too dry or too wet. They have discussions about what the soil feels like and if the plants need water. Last week tamariki made 'Nettle tea' by soaking stinging nettle in water for the week. When Joy-Marie brought it out tamariki...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

February 17, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

MKA Energy Workshop

Teachers from the Marlborough Kindergarten Association immersed themselves into the topic of "energy" at their teacher only day at the beginning of the year. Ramona and Annie from the MDC Environmental Education team were invited to the MKA teacher only day in January. This was an opportunity to share their new Energy kit available for teachers to borrow and use with students. This kit explores the key concepts of energy - its different forms and how we use it, that it is everywhere and that it is continuously changing. Mostly based on Enviroschools activities the kit involves all the resources needs to get hands on and explore energy in its many different forms. The workshop gave teachers an...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

December 16, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Waitohi Kindergarten Pause to Reflect

Last week Waitohi Kindergarten pulled in their hoe (paddles), slowing their Enviroschools waka to create time and space to reflect on their journey. The analogy of the waka and/ or awa is used within Enviroschools to think of the journey that is embarked upon when engaging with the programme. The journey of your school or Kindergarten may start as a slow trickle or a waka with only one or two people paddling but as the journey continues it brings on more “paddlers” and more creeks feed into the main awa which creates more momentum. At times it is important to stop paddling, or pull into the calm waters so that you can take a break,...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

December 9, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

MGC at Grovetown Lagoon

Discovering the Living Systems of Grovetown Lagoon Year 10 ākonga from the Mountains to Sea course at Marlborough Girls’ College spent the day exploring the amazing ecosystems of Grovetown Lagoon - a place they’d already been learning about in class. Split into three groups, each team started with a different adventure rotating around each activity. Group one joined local birder Phil Bradfield on a walk around the lagoon, learning to identify the many manu that make this wetland home and discovering how species like whitebait form an important part of the food chain. Group two rolled up their sleeves with Justine Johnson, helping to release young native trees from the weeds around them. Their mahi will give...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

December 9, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Nurturing and Nature

Springlands Kindergarten have added another opportunity for their tamariki to spend time in nature. The opportunity shows the Enviroschools Guiding Principle of Empowered Learners. L for Lela Teachers take the same group of six to eight students each week for a term to the same local park they can walk to - McKendry Park. Their route each week is chosen by the children, sometimes through the school next door to clamber over small mounds and wave to older brothers and sisters. Sometimes along the footpath where they can chat with locals walking by. Looking for tuna (eels) This opportunity is for nurturing both the children and the environment....

by Enviroschools Marlborough

November 27, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Picton School – Growing a Food Forest From the Ground Up

A small group of Picton School tamariki taking part in the Science Alive programme spent Terms 2 and 3 diving deep into food forests and composting. What they achieved was incredible! The food forest plan Their goal was to set up a hot composting system in their Kids Edible Gardens and transform the ornamental garden near their lunch area into a thriving, productive space full of vegetables and herbs. They began by exploring how food systems work, then headed out to Esson’s Valley to see decomposition happening naturally. In the ngahere they noticed something important, the forest has a structure. Tall trees form the canopy, smaller plants create the understory, and...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

November 27, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Kūmara – Kai from the Atua Rongomātāne: Planting Day!

As a follow-up to last term’s kūmara kaupapa, Reuben returned to Redwoodtown School. The seed bed rangitahi had prepared was overflowing with strong, healthy tipu - a sure sign the mātauranga and maramataka-aligned preparation had worked. Rachel Ellis, their KEGs facilitator, had already prepared the garden beds with some of the younger tamariki, ready for the big planting. Everyone had the chance to carefully pull the tipu from the kūmara, then take them outside to plant. Before any digging began, the class paused to honour tikanga, saying a karakia over the tipu and the garden beds. The tipu were then planted in the traditional J-shape along the top of the mounds and gently watered in. Now it’s...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

November 25, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Outdoor Classroom Day

"Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day". This year Redwoodtown Kindergarten and Seymour Kindergarten took part in Outdoor Classroom Day. Both Kindergartens took a different approach to their involvement but with the same intention of engaging with the outdoor environment. Redwoodtown Kindergarten "The Tamariki of Redwoodtown Kindergarten thoroughly enjoyed participating in International Outdoor Classroom Day, engaging in a range of learning experiences that celebrated exploration and discovery in nature. They demonstrated curiosity, teamwork and creativity as they investigated their environment, worked together to solve problems and expressed ideas through play.

: Bath time in the sun

: Reading cubbies

The outdoor setting provided valuable opportunities for developing physical skills, confidence, and a deeper appreciation...

by Enviroschools Marlborough