climate change Archives - Enviroschools Marlborough

November 22, 2025

Planting Together at Pine Valley Wetlands

Renwick School and Redwoodtown School took part in a planting day in the Pine Valley wetlands earlier this term. The idea to take part in the Pine Valley wetlands planting came from a keen group of ākonga at Renwick School. Angela, who has been supporting the group since meeting them through the Climate Change Learning Programme, reached out to the Pine Valley Committee to see if a planting day might be possible. Redwoodtown tamariki planting at the Pine Valley wetlands restoration. Committee member Rachel Ellis, who also supports the Redwoodtown School Enviroleaders, was quick to say yes! She organised her group to join in, and together they spent the day planting, learning,...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 4, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Solar Ovens and Renewable Energy at St Mary’s School

What does melting chocolate over marshmallows and biscuits have to do with renewable energy? At St Mary’s School, the answer is: everything! The Year 7 and 8 class recently built solar ovens out of shoeboxes, using tinfoil and plastic wrap to harness the power of the sun. Their ovens demonstrated how the sun’s energy can be used for everyday needs like cooking, while reducing the use of fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. Tamariki learned that renewable energy isn’t just a big idea for power stations, it can be simple, creative, and fun. Their tasty experiment was part of the class’s climate change learning programme, where they’ve been exploring ways renewable energy can help...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 4, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Rapaura’s Gifford Room – Turning Climate Learning into Climate Action

The Year 7 and 8 ākonga in Gifford Room at Rapaura School were among the first to take part in the Climate Change Learning Programme Angela has been facilitating in Term 2 and 3. They recently welcomed her back for the final step, bringing together everything they had learned to create an action that will share their climate knowledge with others, raise awareness of climate change and kaitiakitanga and make a positive difference at school. Actions to take now and into the future During the programme, they had explored the value of different perspectives, showing manaakitanga for other people’s views, and working together with nature to find solutions. They also recognised that...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

tepapa kumara at NMIT enjoying the warmth of their propagation house

September 3, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Kūmara – Kai from the Atua Rongomātāne

Kūmara is a treasure gifted to us by Rongomātene, atua of cultivated crops as well as peace and manaakitanga. It sustained the first Polynesian explorers when they arrived in Aotearoa. They adapted their growing methods to a cooler climate, carefully storing kūmara through winter and planting again in spring. This season, rangitahi from Redwoodtown and Rapaura Schools were given the opportunity to make tepapa kūmara (seed beds). They’ve joined a growing group of rangatahi who are connecting to the whenua raising kūmara tipu and growing kai. Making sure the kūmara are planted the right way at Redwoodtown School. The idea came from Reuben Molnar, who visited as part of the Climate Change...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

June 22, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Adaptation in Action – Learning Through Play

One of the modules in the new Climate Change Learning Programme focuses on Adaptation — the ways in which humans and nature adjust to changes in the environment. To introduce the concept of adaptation, we started by looking at examples from nature. Students were surprised to learn that giraffes didn’t always have long necks! Over many generations, they adapted so they could reach leaves higher in the trees. Even more fascinating — some trees have adapted too, sending out chemical signals to warn other trees when giraffes are nearby munching their leaves. We then linked the concept to climate change by discussing rising sea levels, one of the key impacts of climate change we face...

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

May 4, 2023

News-and-funding

Sustainable Action Ideas | Term Two 2023

Our term two Sustainable Action Ideas newsletter explores the Enviroschools Guiding Principle of Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures. It highlights some up coming awareness dates that support this guiding principle as well as shares ideas to celebrate other cultures in your school or centre. There are also a number of workshops happening this term. Click here to access our online Padlets to view this newsletter and previous ones....

by Enviroschools Marlborough

July 6, 2021

Enviroschools stories

Kindergarten powered by Tama-nui-te-rā!

This term, Renwick Kindergarten staff, students and whānau celebrated the installation of their new solar panels. After Renwick Kindergarten reflected at Green-Gold in 2019, the kindergarten community was inspired to investigate renewable energy sources: both as a way of future-proofing for generations to come, and minimizing their environmental impact. After lots of meetings and discussions, the decision was made to go solar. Making use of Tama-nui-te-rā (the sun) - who nearly always shines on Marlborough - seemed such a natural option. The kindergarten partnered with Harrisons Solar to install the panels. As a local, family-owned business, Harrisons are a past whānau for the kindergarten, and they were actively involved in raising the funds well before...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

October 22, 2019

Enviroschools stories

Enviro week at Renwick School

Ellen Theobald, co-leader of Renwick School's 'Green Ferns' enviro group, wrote this article to tell us about the school's recent Enviro Week activities. Our Green Ferns organised a really fun Enviro Week to coincide with the Climate Strikes and the work done by Climate Karanga and George Varney (Climate Youth Action Team) at the tree planting opportunity that was offered to schools. We also decided that we need to raise the profile of recycling within our classrooms as school systems changed and we needed to educate everyone to let them know what to do.

: Some of the eye-catching new recycling bins

The Green Ferns ran a competition where classes were encouraged to decorate their cardboard and paper recycling bins (Thanks...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

July 23, 2019

General

Sustainable Action Ideas | Term 3 2019

Looking for some ideas or inspiration for teaching in Term 3? Take a look at our list of ideas - there's something for everyone! Tracking tunnels & traps: DOC have confirmed 2019 as the biggest mast event in 40 years. The rats, mice and mustelids are fat and breeding prolifically. It’s the perfect time to track what is living in or around your school, set up a trapline, or visit a local trapping programme. Take a look at our ‘Animal Pests’ resources here, and look at this workshop that DOC is running later this term for beginner trappers. In the garden: it’s a good term for learning about the soil and worms! Visit...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

climate change Tag