Community Archives - Enviroschools Marlborough

October 13, 2026

Canvastown School – Native Planting & Web of Life Learning

Planting day Canvastown School took powerful action for te taiao this term, planting 140 native trees and grasses — including mānuka, toetoe, carex, karamū, and harakeke — along the bank that leads to their bottom field. This area borders a stream that flows directly into their local awa, Te Hoiere. The planting was designed to stabilise the soil and reduce erosion, improving water quality downstream. Ready for planting Before and after planting, tamariki explored the Enviroschools “Web of Life” activity, learning about the interconnectedness of all living things. Through this, they discovered how their planting supports the birds, insects, soil life, and water — and even contributes to...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 25, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Waitaria Bay School – Everyday Kaitiakitanga & Solar Learning in the Sounds

Waitaria Bay School welcomed Angela and Sarah in Term 3 for a full day of sharing, exploring, and celebrating the incredible environmental mahi they carry out as part of everyday school life. The visit offered a rare glimpse into the depth of their ongoing projects. Including the independence of their tamariki as active kaitiaki of their remote Marlborough Sounds environment. Every term, the students from Waitaria Bay School travel to Manaroa Head to complete Litter Intelligence monitoring, contributing valuable data to the nationwide Sustainable Coastlines database. Their commitment to this long‑term citizen science project shows a strong understanding of how local action supports national environmental knowledge. Back at school, the tamariki proudly showed us their...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

June 22, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Planting for Future Generations at Thomsons Ford Road

On a beautiful sunny July day, students from Wairau Valley, Springlands, and Rapaura Schools joined the team from Trees for Marlborough for a native tree planting event at Thomsons Ford Road. Organised by Junior Landcare, Wairau Nature Network, and Enviroschools to celebrate Arbor Day. The day was an opportunity for students to make a meaningful contribution to the future of Marlborough's unique environment. Trees ready for planting The planting site is more than just a restoration project. It is also a demonstration site for low-flammability green breaks. With Marlborough's hot, dry summers and strong winds increasing the risk of wildfires, projects like this help landowners and restoration groups make informed decisions...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

April 22, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Maths in Nature

A group of Springlands School students made the most of the sunny autumn days by taking their learning to McKendry Park and using nature as their classroom for maths. They counted chestnuts, created repeating patterns, counted trees, measured the distance between them, and used tally marks and skip counting in 5s to count sticks. Learning was hands-on, meaningful, and lots of fun!

It was made even more special when some residents from the nearby rest home, out for their morning walk, stopped to join in with the learning and conversations. A wonderful example of learning, community, and connection in action.

...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

March 31, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Nature Exploration on the Taylor River

Connecting with nature helps to make us smarter, healthier and happier, this is the purpose for Blenheim’s new nature exploration space. Located on the Taylor River beneath a stand of large trees is Blenheim’s new Nature Exploration Space. The ideal spot with the surrounding environment offering an extension to the dedicated space for running, climbing and exploring. The project started last year with the Council's Environmental Education team and support from Parks and Open Spaces officer Kiri Whiteman. It began with a consultation process with young tamariki in Blenheim. They were asked what they would like to see, do, feel, hear in the new space. Tamariki were encouraged to discuss, draw and even create a...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

March 31, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Providers Catch Up

It was great to meet up with some of the other providers that work in the environmental education space in Marlborough. This was the first of what we all hope will be many catch ups to come. It was an opportunity to share what we do in our work programmes. From Landcare to Te Hoiere, Climate Karanga Marlborough and The Falcon Trust, Envirohub and Forest and Bird, to name just a few who showed interest in the first catch up. The initial catch up, hosted by the environmental educators with Marlborough District Council was held at Te Kahu o Waipuna. Here we were able to chat about what we are all currently working...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

20 year celebration - the mayor saying a few words

September 14, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Celebrating 20 years of Enviroschools in Marlborough

To celebrate 20 years of Enviroschools in the region, students from 4-12 years old from around Marlborough helped to plant trees and plants along the Taylor River Walkway. The students from 6 schools, Springlands kindergarten and Montessori were welcomed with a mihi. Followed by an introduction to the planting site, a site that was created in 2000 with Forest and Bird. The area was then added to in 2005 when Enviroschools first started in Marlborough. Again in 2015 at the Enviroschools 10 year celebration and recently for the 20 year celebration.

: Identifying leaves with Angela

: Natural collage – how our plantings will look in the future

: Natural exploration space constructing

: Insect hunting in the bush

To connect to the space, students took part in a range of activities, including hunting for insects, making a natural collage,...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 10, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

A New Nature Exploration Space

Last year we saw a strong focus on Nature Connection spread across schools and ECE’s in Marlborough. The growing knowledge of how important time in nature is and the relationship that we have with it meant that many were prioritising establishing their own programmes to get out there more regularly. In recognition of this and to celebrate 20 years of Enviroschools in Marlborough, our Environmental Education team explored some options to give back to the community. The result being a Nature Exploration Space. After identifying a location and having an initial meeting it was time to come up with ideas of how it could look. Who better to ask than the tamariki themselves. With a...

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 18, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Nature Walk

When we think about Nature Connection most of us would instantly think of being in the bush somewhere. But in term 4 last year Seymour Kindergarten tamariki discovered that a walk around the block can tie in all the Pathways to Nature Connection. What are the Pathways to Nature Connection? A deepened nature connection experience is achieved through the 5 pathways - sense, emotion, meaning, beauty and compassion. Hill rolling at Lansdowne Park Seymour Kindergarten tamariki have been exploring these by using their senses - smelling the flowers and touching the lambs ears. Experiencing the enjoyment (Emotions) of rolling down a grassy mound in Horton Park or the excitement of watching a bumble bee...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

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