Students from 10 schools gathered at the Kauaeranga Visitors Centre on September 5, to celebrate National Conservation Week with an environment hui.
The hui, organised through Enviroschools, the Waikato Regional Council, and the Department of Conservation, was a chance for schools to showcase their environment projects, hear speakers, and participate in workshops led by local experts. Enviroschools groups from Hauraki Plains College, and Moanataiari, Netherton, Paeroa Central, Pārāwai, Pūriri, Tairua, Tapu, Turua and Waikino primary schools attended.
Inspired by the Conservation Week theme ‘taking action for nature’, each school group began the day by hosting a “market stall” display.
Hauraki Plains College’s display was run by four of the school’s Year 13 leaders. They told The Profile they had been working hard to implement a recycling system on campus. The project was prompted by the results of their student-led survey and waste audit, which found the college had produced 55.3kg of waste in a single day.
“We realised our recycling was not that good at school,” they said. “There was a general consensus that there needed to be an improvement.”
Following the market, students heard from Thames Coromandel District Councillor Robyn Sinclair, who has a Masters degree in ecological entomology and a special interest in conservation. She encouraged their efforts, asking them to “stay curious” and keep caring for the environment.
The rest of the day was filled with workshops. Students rotated between a number of different stations. They encountered native geckos; learned about water testing, Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain, and kauri protection; heard the sound of a kiwi; tried their hand at recycling; checked stream traps for native fish; learned about pest trapping; spied for seabirds; and discussed native tree planting. Experts from Predator Free NZ, Hillary Outdoor Centre, Maungatautari, Enviroschools, the Department of Conservation, Thames Coast Kiwi Care, Pare Hauraki Native Nursery, the Seagull Centre, Hauraki-Coromandel Predator Free, and the Pukorokoro Shorebird Centre were on hand to lead the students through each activity.
