outdoors Archives - Page 2 of 4 - Enviroschools Marlborough

November 25, 2025

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 22, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

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 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 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 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

December 4, 2024

Enviroschools stories General

Riverlands School at Onamalutu

A large group of tamariki Yrs 1 -3 from Riverlands School headed to Onamalutu Reserve earlier this term as a celebration of their learning around sustainability and the living world. At school they had created bird feeders and houses, planted vegetables and cleaned up rubbish. The trip was a chance to see the beautiful areas they can create when nurturing the environment with the small actions they took at school. The ngahere at Onamalutu is a remnant of podocarp forest once common in Wairau. It has beautiful mature kahikatea, matai and totara. The reserve was donated by a local sawmiller in 1901. This has preserved a small part of the natural ngahere that filled...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

December 4, 2024

Enviroschools stories General

Bioblitz – Grovetown Lagoon

Enviroschools and Junior Landcare joined up again in term 4 to give the opportunity for rangatahi to become scientists in a Bioblitz at Grovetown Lagoon. Biodiversity brings to mind thoughts of remote, wild places full of extraordinary animals and plants. While wild areas are rich in biodiversity, we can easily overlook the variety of species that surround us every day in easy to reach, local spaces - even on the school playing field. Did you know that New Zealand has 2000 species of spiders and you are likely to find one million spiders in one hectare of paddock land! Angela, Wendy (NZ Landcare), Rosanne and Justine (Wetland Warriors) welcomed rangatahi from Queen Charlotte College and...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

September 18, 2024

Enviroschools stories General

Kahikatea Reserve

Earlier in the year, Tua Marina and Springcreek Schools teamed up to replant a section of the Kahikatea Reserve. This amazing restoration project was started 20 years ago. The aim being to return the land to original ngahere and water ways. A group sitting quietly counting birds When planting the damaged section, we could hear numerous birds in the maturing ngahere beside us. Of course we also had piwakawaka ducking and diving around us as we disturbed the insects that piwakawaka love to eat. We came up with the idea of returning each year to do a bird count. Both in the 20-year-old section and the newly planted section. This would measure...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

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