take action Archives - Enviroschools Marlborough

October 14, 2026

Fairhall School – Waste Wise & Creative Solutions

Fairhall School’s Envirogroup has been diving deep into the kaupapa of Zero Waste. They have been exploring how they can reduce rubbish and rethink materials within their school community. Ramona and Sarah visited with the new Waste Wise programme that can be leant out to schools. It is full of activities and learning topics, and can be used for the group’s fortnightly hui, sparking lively discussion and discovery. The session began with the Waste Timeline activity, where everyone was astonished to learn that glass can take up to a million years to break down. The tauira already knew that plastic never truly decomposes — instead turning into microplastics that remain on Papatūānuku forever —...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

October 13, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

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

October 13, 2026

Enviroschools stories General

Linkwater School – Bee Awareness, Seed Bombs & A Senior Trapline Project

This term, Linkwater School has been buzzing with purposeful environmental action. As part of Bee Awareness Month, the Juniors welcomed Sarah Huntley into their classroom to explore the vital role bees play in pollination and ecosystem health. Tamariki learned how bees support the food systems we rely on. Why protecting them matters, and how small actions can make a big difference. To put their learning into action, the Juniors made flower seed bombs — a fun, hands‑on way to create future food sources for pollinators. The excitement was contagious, with students proudly shaping, rolling, and planning where their seed bombs would be scattered to help bees thrive around their kura and community. Meanwhile, a passionate...

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

December 9, 2025

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MGC at Grovetown Lagoon

Discovering the Living Systems of Grovetown Lagoon Year 10 ākonga from the Mountains to Sea course at Marlborough Girls’ College spent the day exploring the amazing ecosystems of Grovetown Lagoon - a place they’d already been learning about in class. Split into three groups, each team started with a different adventure rotating around each activity. Group one joined local birder Phil Bradfield on a walk around the lagoon, learning to identify the many manu that make this wetland home and discovering how species like whitebait form an important part of the food chain. Group two rolled up their sleeves with Justine Johnson, helping to release young native trees from the weeds around them. Their mahi will give...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

November 27, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Picton School – Growing a Food Forest From the Ground Up

A small group of Picton School tamariki taking part in the Science Alive programme spent Terms 2 and 3 diving deep into food forests and composting. What they achieved was incredible! The food forest plan Their goal was to set up a hot composting system in their Kids Edible Gardens and transform the ornamental garden near their lunch area into a thriving, productive space full of vegetables and herbs. They began by exploring how food systems work, then headed out to Esson’s Valley to see decomposition happening naturally. In the ngahere they noticed something important, the forest has a structure. Tall trees form the canopy, smaller plants create the understory, and...

by Enviroschools Marlborough

November 27, 2025

Enviroschools stories General

Kūmara – Kai from the Atua Rongomātāne: Planting Day!

As a follow-up to last term’s kūmara kaupapa, Reuben returned to Redwoodtown School. The seed bed rangitahi had prepared was overflowing with strong, healthy tipu - a sure sign the mātauranga and maramataka-aligned preparation had worked. Rachel Ellis, their KEGs facilitator, had already prepared the garden beds with some of the younger tamariki, ready for the big planting. Everyone had the chance to carefully pull the tipu from the kūmara, then take them outside to plant. Before any digging began, the class paused to honour tikanga, saying a karakia over the tipu and the garden beds. The tipu were then planted in the traditional J-shape along the top of the mounds and gently watered in. Now it’s...

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

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

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