Kerikeri, Whangarei to host Enviroschools' expos

More than 20 experts across a range of areas from stream-dwelling insects to environmental puppetry are to share their knowledge with an estimated 200 Northland Enviroschools students and teachers next week.

The first of two Enviroschools’ expos – dubbed ‘Our Precious Waters – the fresh and the salty!’ will be held at Whangarei’s Hurupaki School on Tuesday September 27, with the next at Kerikeri’s Springbank School two days later.

The expos are aimed at Northland participants in the popular Enviroschools programme, a whole-school approach to sustainability.

The Northland Regional Council played a key role in bringing Enviroschools north in 2003 and more than a third of the region’s schools are now in the programme.

This year’s expos follow a successful inaugural event run by the council – again in Whangarei and Kerikeri – last year.

Susan Karels, the council’s Enviroschools Regional Co-ordinator, says once again the expos will be largely hands-on events and she’s grateful for financial assistance from companies like BOC Limited which has donated $1500 for native plants and equipment.

“We’ll be offering exciting and practical workshops on topics including wetlands, marine biodiversity, water quality testing, insect studies, riparian planting, water catchment modelling and water wildlife art.”

Participants will include representatives from the regional council, the Department of Conservation, Community Business and Environment Centre, and landcare group Living Waters as well as a number of individual experts.

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

“It’s a great opportunity to learn from a diverse range of Northland-based water experts as well as share your school’s special projects,” she says.

Although registrations don’t officially close until tomorrow Mrs Karels says the Whangarei expo is already fully booked and she expects to have no trouble filling the Kerikeri event either.

The seminars run from 8.30am to 2.30pm.

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