Te Kamo Scouts have been recognised by Keep New Zealand Beautiful for their efforts to keep Te Kamo and the wider Whangārei area clean and green.
Te Kamo Scout Group is “stoked” that its mission to keep Whangārei clean and green has been nationally recognised.
The group was this month named Volunteer of the Month by not-for-profit environmental organisation Keep New Zealand Beautiful.
Scout leader Brian Corney says the group is “blown away” by the recognition.
Ranging in age from 5 to 18, his crew has hiked 10kg of trash out of the Tangihuias, combed through mangroves for rubbish, and regularly joined local volunteer clean-up efforts.
Corney said in scouting, there was a set of “Better World” badges that could be earned with a focus on making the world a better place, which had been the drive behind their efforts.
Scouts could earn badges for climate change, community, conservation, equity, oceans, sustainable choices and more.
“Because we spend quite a lot of time outdoors, that’s the environment we’re operating in, so we teach about looking after it so it’s there for the next generation.”
Corney said there had been times at certain locations when they’d returned a year later to find it cleaner and greener than before.
“The youth are very proud of what they’re doing. They can see it’s making a difference.”
Picking up rubbish was a regular part of their programmes, such as when they hiked the Tangihuia track in Kaipara during June last year and hauled out over 10kg of rubbish.
“We don’t just talk about it, we get out there and do it,” he said.
It was partnerships with local groups such as For Our Real Clean Environment [Force] that ensured they could not just collect rubbish but dispose of it too, he said.
“I think sometimes that the fear for some groups is we’d pick up a tyre out of a river, but foot the bill out of disposing of it.”
Corney said his Scouts knew they were in the running for the award when they were interviewed for it.
After getting a congratulatory phone call, it was up on the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Facebook page the same day.
“I was stoked that the actions had been recognised,” he said.
Corney said it was nice to be in a position to help rather than asking for help after their hall burned down in 2011.
The group were nominated by the Whangārei District Council’s waste minimisation officer, Wendy Bertholet.
She said it was how they had taken part in their own and wider clean-ups that demonstrated their keenness to make the world a better place.
“They learn about issues and take action to make things better for both the people and the environment.”
“I recommended the Te Kamo Scout Group for their consistent work in this mahi.”
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
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