Enviroschools stories Archives - Page 3 of 15

June 13, 2025

Identifying Hazards at Sheps’ Park

Springlands Kindergarten students identify park hazards on their Nature Connection excursion and take action to get changes made. The students at Springlands Kindergarten regularly use Sheps' Park as part of their Nature Connection programme. When they arrive the teachers and students do a walk about and check for hazards on every visit. On one of their walkabouts they noticed some things that could be dangerous for them and others. The students and teachers contacted the Parks and Open Spaces team at Marlborough District Council (MDC) to see if they knew of these and could help. Rachel Hutchinson for the Parks and Open Spaces team met with some of the students, teachers and part of...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

June 11, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Climate Change Learning Programme (CCLP) – Marlborough Pilot

Angela from our education team has been piloting the Climate Change Learning Programme (CCLP) with Year 7–8 students at Redwoodtown and Rapaura Schools this term. Originally developed with support from the Ministry of Education and now delivered through the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE) in partnership with Future Curious, the CCLP is being run in regions across Aotearoa by council environmental educators.

: Redwoodtown school students brainstorming ideas of how scientists and engineers could help mitigate climate change

: Redwoodtown school students sorting examples of adaptions into avoid, protect, accommodate, retreat

: Redwoodtown school students mapping biodiverstity in their school

Our team has adapted the eight-module programme to reflect Marlborough’s unique climate, challenges, and ecosystems. The content blends curriculum-linked science and social science learning with hands-on experiments, critical thinking challenges, and collaborative group activities. Students explore the complexities of climate change and identify positive, practical actions that individuals and...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

June 11, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Discovering Stream Secrets: Marlborough Children Investigate the Taylor River

Earlier this term, ākonga from four Marlborough schools rolled up their sleeves, and trousers, taking part in a hands-on freshwater education event along the Taylor River. With guidance from Angela, Wendy (Junior Landcare), and volunteers from Forest & Bird, students explored the world of freshwater invertebrates and how these tiny creatures can tell us about stream health. The afternoon began with a visual habitat assessment. Ākonga learned to observe the features of a waterway—such as gravel beds, shaded banks, riffles, pools and runs. They used this information to make an assessment of the health of the awa. Tamariki then rotated between two hands-on, creative activities: designing and making their own bug bags, and building bathy...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 11, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

From Audit to Action at Redwoodtown

At Redwoodtown School, like many across Marlborough, students and staff are working hard to reduce what ends up in landfill through a school-wide recycling system for paper, plastic and food waste. However recently, the school's Enviroleaders noticed that enthusiasm for proper sorting had started to slip. Rather than let things slide, they set themselves a new goal: to redesign the recycling area and make it easier and more inviting for everyone to use. Before making changes, the students wanted to understand what types of waste were most common and where it was ending up—both inside classrooms and around the school grounds. With the support of the school cleaners, a day was set aside for...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 9, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Exploring Nude Food at Witherlea School

This term, Year 5/6 students at Witherlea School embarked on an inquiry into Nude Food, investigating how food is packaged and exploring alternatives to disposable packaging. As they examined plastic wraps, zip-lock bags, and foil, they started to wonder: What actually happens to these materials once they’re thrown away? To dig deeper, Angela joined the students to explore how long everyday items take to break down. They considered a big “what if” question: What if everyone understood how long waste sticks around? Would that change the choices we make? The first challenge was to create a waste timeline. Students selected everyday items and arranged themselves in a line, predicting which would break down quickly and which...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 9, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Exploring the Health of the Awa: Water is Life

We all interact with water every day—but how often do we stop to consider where it comes from, where it goes, and the life it supports along the way? This was the driving question for the Year 7 and 8 students at Fairhall School as they explored the health of their local awa as part of their inquiry, Water is Life. The first challenge? Choosing a suitable waterway to study. The students quickly discovered that not all rivers flow year-round, and appearances can be deceiving. While Doctor’s Creek at Benmorven Rd and Fairhall River seemed like ideal study sites, they often run dry in summer. Further downstream, Doctor’s Creek resurfaces—but in a degraded state, making it...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 3, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Nature connection sharing

Nature Connection programmes have been growing in Marlborough, especially in Kindergartens. Recently environmental educator for Marlborough District Council, Ramona Millen and Marlborough Kindergarten Association Senior Teacher, Gwenda Jones shared how this has developed over the last two years and the benefits of Nature Connection for tamariki. Ramona supporting a Nature Connection session The New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE) hosted a webinar where Ramona and Gwenda talked about the changes they have seen by supporting teachers and children to regularly spend time in nature in the Marlborough region. With a few prompts around observing, tamariki have been experiencing many ways to connect with nature. From walks around the block, to local parks...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

Waitohi Kindergarten Monarch Butterflies

April 3, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Monarch caterpillars and butterflies

Waitohi Kindergarten have been keeping a watchful eye on the many Monarch caterpillars they have in their inside butterfly cage. They are on swan plants in specially made containers by one of the Kaiako. Tamariki have been excited to check the cage each day to see if any more of the caterpillars have turned into chrysalis or if the chrysalis have hatched.

: Monarch caterpillar

: Monarch pupa

A couple of the students were happy to share their knowledge of the process and they knew a lot! The Maori name for Monarch is Kakahu. It is important to just watch and not touch the caterpillars, especially when they are shedding their skin. It takes three weeks for...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 3, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

From bare boxes to boxes of produce

The new garden boxes at Redwoodtown Kindergarten are providing produce for their community. Redwoodtown Kindergarten joined the Kids Edible Garden programme towards the end of 2024 after having some new vegetable boxes built in their front garden. The children had been growing seeds and small plants in preparation for planting in their boxes. This was done with Joy- Marie, their gardening facilitator, the supportive teachers and enthusiastic tamariki. The once bare vegetable boxes are now full of bountiful produce. So much produce in fact that they can regularly give away the fruits of their labour to their community. Ka Pai Redwoodtown Kindergarten, it is so great to see what you have been growing and...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

December 10, 2024

Enviroschools stories General

Growing a sustainable community

“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...

by Enviroschools Marlborough