Horizons Council boosts 25 environmental projects in schools across Manawatū-Whanganui

Brunswick School received funding in 2023 to increase the size of their lavender garden and purchase a still to produce lavender oil for creating sustainable products to sell to the community.

From fruit trees to rain water tanks, chicken coops to composting systems, 25 environmental projects have received a cash boost from Horizons Regional Council.

The council has awarded 25 grants to Enviroschools for environmental and sustainability projects through the Pat Kelly Enviroschools Action Fund. The fund supports sustainability projects from Enviroschools in the Horizons region.

Horizons senior environmental educator and Enviroschools Regional Leader Sarah Williams said the council received 31 applications, seeking a total of $23,000.

“We were pleased to see applications from across the region with all districts represented,” she said.

“This year we have seen an increase in projects linked to food sustainability with schools and centres focused on vegetable gardens, purchasing of tunnel houses to increase growing time especially for those in colder areas of our region, the planting of fruit trees and creation of composting systems”.

“With 112 Enviroschools in the region we strive to fund as many projects as we can, as sometimes just a small amount of money is all it takes to kick a project off.”

An additional grant had been launched this year, she said.

“This year we have also launched an additional fund, to support those schools and centres that are not part of the Enviroschools programme. Our Environmental Education Grant is open all year round to help kick-start action projects with a focus on biodiversity, biosecurity and water quality. Details of this are available on our grants and sponsorship section of our website”.

There are 112 Enviroschools across the Horizons region, from early childhood education centres through to primary and secondary schools.

Funding recipients are:

• Ballance School (Tararua) – to purchase gardening equipment for a garden-to-plate project.
• Brunswick School (Whanganui) – to refurbish their composting area.
• Bulls Kindergarten (Rangitīkei) – to upgrade their worm farms.
• Bunnythorpe School (Palmerston North) – to purchase a greenhouse and watering system.
• Campbell Street Kindergarten (Palmerston North) – to purchase and install a water tank for sustainable water use.
• Carncot Independent School (Palmerston North) – towards a rainwater tank and equipment for water collection.
• Central Kids Parone Kindergarten (Ruapehu) – to support learning around kai and wellbeing through traditional Māori practices.
• Central Kids Te Ara Matauranga Kindergarten (Ruapehu) – towards vege pods and garden supplies for seed to plate project.
• Clifton School (Rangitīkei) – to install information panels about their Enviroschool projects.
• Glen ōroua School (Manawatū) – for materials to build a chicken coop.
• Horowhenua College (Horowhenua) – to create a school composting system for their green waste and in-school lunch programme.
• Learning Links Horowhenua (Horowhenua) – to build a vegetable garden and orchard area
• Levin School (Horowhenua) – to purchase fruit trees.
• Manchester Street School (Manawatū) – to purchase materials to build rat traps for a pest trapping project.
• Mangaweka School (Rangitīkei) – to support the Weka Kids Ahi Kai project.
• Marton Junction Community Preschool (Rangitīkei) – to purchase a tumbling composter and Bokashi compost system.
• Ōpiki School (Manawatū) – to purchase fruit trees.
• Pahiatua School (Tararua) – to purchase mini greenhouses.
• Papanui Junction School (Rangitīkei) – towards the purchase of a tunnel house.
• Parkland Kindergarten (Palmerston North) – to create a community recycling station.
• Raetihi School (Ruapehu) – to purchase fruit and nut trees.
• Riverdale School (Palmerston North) – to purchase a hothouse for the mara kai.
• St George’s School (Whanganui) – to create a composting area with worm farms to tackle their organic waste.
• Taitoko School (Horowhenua) – to build a school composting system.
• Weber School (Tararua) – to refurbish their garden beds.