Whangarei, Kerikeri to host Enviroschools' Expos

More than a dozen experts on a range of environmental initiatives from creating gecko gardens to earth building are to share their knowledge with over 160 Northland Enviroschools students and teachers later this month.

 

The experts will feature at two Enviroschools’ Expos, believed to be the first of their type to be held in Northland.

 

Whangarei will host the first expo at Kamo Primary School on Tuesday 16 November with the second booked for two days later at Kerikeri’s Riverview School on Thursday 18 November.

 

The Expos are aimed at Northland participants in the popular Enviroschools programme, a whole-school approach to environmental education.  The programme encourages student-driven action, based on sustainable management of resources across all areas of school life.

 

The Northland Regional Council (NRC) played a key role in bringing Enviroschools north in 2003 and there are now more than 40 local schools in the programme.

Expos’ organiser Teresa Rudgley, an Enviroschools Facilitator at the NRC, says they will be hands-on – rather than theoretical – events aiming to generate “enthusiasm, sharing and motivation” among participants.

She says the expos should provide a great opportunity for students and teachers to pick up valuable tips from the experts that they can then incorporate into their own school setting.

“For instance among the seven workshops we’ll be offering will be making a garden habitat for geckos, papermaking, worm farming and earth building.  Participants will literally be able to get their hands dirty.”

Ms Rudgley says there will also be plenty of opportunity for participants to strengthen the relationships between schools and share their own environmental success stories.

Participants will include representatives from Whangarei Museum and Kiwi House-based educators Kiwi North, the Department of Conservation, Community Business and Environment Centre, Forest and Bird, CoastCare groups and the NRC as well as a number of individual experts.

 

Students will also help both organise and run the expos and in some cases they will be assuming the teaching role and literally “teaching the teachers”.

Further information about the Enviroschools programme is available via the Regional Council’s website www.nrc.govt.nz/enviroschools