ECE Archives - Enviroschools Marlborough

December 9, 2025

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 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

November 21, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Wildflower Seed Bombs for Bee Aware Month

Young tamariki across Marlborough were buzzing as they learnt all about bees and pollination. For the month of September, Ramona visited ECE services to celebrate Bee Aware Month. She took with her a kit of resources that included a bee pollination activity and equipment to make wildflower seed bombs. Ramona talking with the tamariki at Awatere Early Learning Centre Each session started with a quick discussion about pollen and nectar and some interesting facts; Bees use their antennae to smell. They can detect nectar 2 km away. Worker bees produce about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime. On one flight from the hive to collect honey, a honey...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 16, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Discovering Life in the Awa at McKendry Park

A small group of tamariki at Springlands Kindergarten have been making regular visits to McKendry Park. While there, they made an exciting discovery - tuna (eels) living in the small awa that flows through the park. Watching and feeding the eels quickly became a favourite activity, but it also sparked a question: What else lives in the awa? To find out, the group invited Angela to join one of their visits and share her knowledge about the invertebrates that make the awa their home. Wary of the eels and grateful for her waders to keep warm and dry, Angela demonstrated how to gently catch invertebrates. She showed the tamariki how to lift stones from the...

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 14, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Celebrating Conservation Week at Wild Waikawa

As part of Conservation Week Aotearoa, a group tamariki from Waitohi Kindergarten went on a beautiful bush adventure into the heart of Wild Waikawa — and what an incredible journey it was! Wild Waikawa stands at the base of Mt Piripiri and stretches up the face of the maunga, the mountain sacred to mana whenua. Waitohi Kindergarten have a special relationship with the place, visiting there with tamariki several times a term. Here they connect with nature, explore and discover. These experiences don't sit in isolation either, they are brought back to kindergarten and extended upon. On this visit their little explorers delighted in spotting Black Witches Butter fungi, lying back to gaze up...

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

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

June 13, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

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

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

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