As part of the Enviroschools programme Stratford Primary School works to be more sustainable. They’ve worked through a level-based award system. The school received the Bronze Award in 2013.
To achieve the Green Gold Award the students had to reflect on their journey so far and plan their next steps.
Enviro tui Addison Moore, 11, says since then, the pupils have been determined to get Green Gold.
“We received our Silver Award in 2017 and now we’ve reached Green Gold. It’s something we’ve all been working towards so to finally have it is pretty special and amazing. We all dressed up in green gold clothing today, and even planted a kowhai tree to mark the achievement and had a whole school sausage sizzle.”
Addison says it’s important to spend time helping the environment.
“It’s great to spend that time in nature. We’re helping the environment ourselves but we’re also teaching others to help the environment too. I created a recycling poster to remind our school community how to recycle. It is being put on all of our school’s recycling bins.”
The Enviro Tuis are a group of students who work as monitors around the school, becoming role models for other pupils to guide them to be more sustainable.
Lillie Belau, 11, says one of the most memorable projects for her is the bee hives, donated by Raul Mateas-Orban, of Tarata Honey in 2019.
“We harvest the honey and it is extracted and packaged by Tarata Honey. We sell honey and also use it for the kids in the breakfast club. We also make and sell other products from the beeswax such as beeswax candles, kawakawa balm, lip balm and beeswax wraps. This year we harvested 224 hard of honey with 250 grams of honey in each jar.”
She says Marlene taught the pupils how to look after the bees.
“By having beehives at school, our fruit trees produce more fruit. Bees are important to us because they pollinate our food crops, producing fruit and seeds. We know how to look after the bees, just like how they look after our environment.”
Marlene says the Enviroschools programme helps the next generation by giving them knowledge of sustainable living.
“Life is all about sustainability. I think it’s especially important for our urban kids to learn this as well as they aren’t around it as much as rural children. They learn how to be sustainable and can take control and lead the generations to come about sustainable living. It’s exposing them to the environment and showing them how to be kaitiaki (guardians) of our earth and how everyone can make a difference.”
Marlene says the journey wouldn’t be possible without the support of all the staff, pupils, wider community and Enviroschools.
“It’s a group effort that has allowed us to empower our tamariki with the knowledge to live sustainably.”
