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Kamo Intermediate School in Whangarei is flying high after its project to attract native birds won five pupils the right to represent New Zealand at an international environmental contest in Sweden.
Pupils from the school, Mevagh Sanson, Joshua Chamberlain, Alex Luiten, Suzannah Bawden and Krystal Stephen will travel to Gothenberg in
September to take part in the Volvo Global Young Peoples' Environmental Conference.
They won the all-expenses paid trip after their website on the school's Islands of Life project won the New Zealand section of the Volvo Ocean Adventure Environmental Competition.
Initiated last year, Islands of Life uses trees, shrubs, bird feeders, nesting boxes and other tools to attract native birds and other wildlife to the school.
The pupils will present the project at the conference, competing against entrants from 11 other countries for the US$10,000 ($22,000) first prize.
If they win, the money will be poured back into Islands of Life, with classes already busily planning for next year.
Principal John Smith said he is pleased the project, which has had input from 90 pupils, had achieved distinction.
Kamo Intermediate is one of six pilot schools in Northland taking part in the Ministry of Education's guidelines for environmental education in New Zealand schools.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
Islands of Life
nzherald.co.nz/environment
