Whanganui Intermediate recognised for its Forest School programme

Jake Banks with teacher aide Whaea Ngaz, Bailee Fernandez, Paige Conley and Caleb Loader, who are learning how to start a fire as part of their Forest Programme. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui Intermediate School is one of just five schools from New Zealand to be recognised for an environmental project as part of the TREEmendous Education Programme.

The school has been recognised for its Forest School programme, an educational philosophy that combines learning about the environment with traditional teaching and subjects.

TREEmendous was launched in 2007 by the Mazda Foundation to help schools develop exciting new ways to promote environmental literacy and encourage environmental education.

"We applied for TREEmendous because we thought they are doing things that were real unique when it came to environmental education and we thought we fit into that mould," Forest School lead Dani Lebo said.

All students at Whanganui Intermediate go to Lismore Forest on State Highway 4 for a series of visits to learn about nature and the environment.

"Usually I take out 25 students at a time," Lebo said. "We go out there for a day, and they come out once every two weeks for the whole term.

"We want it to be available to all the kids and also connect it to their te reo studies. For Forest School, we teach half te reo and half English.

"Then connect it with science as well by learning about the bush and how to care for it. I just think it is very rare and innovative."

Lebo said they are the only intermediate school in New Zealand running a Forest Programme for all of their students.

"I think that is pretty amazing."

Whanganui Intermediate will receive $1000 to go towards their environment project, plus 200 native trees from Trees That Count for the school grounds.

"Moving forward, we have to think about where we will put the trees. How do we involve the kids, because student voice is important and they are connecting it with our curriculum."

Programme creator Ruud Kleinpaste will visit Whanganui Intermediate in July to help the school develop their chosen environmental project further and help teachers identify ways to incorporate the environment as an immersive part of the curriculum.

"He will come here and talk about how do we integrate this beautiful naturalist education into our other subject areas.

"The trees will provide a nice outdoor classroom space and how we can integrate all the programmes for a clean connection."