Fishy adventure kicks off from Hukanui Primary School

There's a fishy adventure kicking off from Hukanui Primary School this Friday 25 July.

When her newly published book Rusty's Big Adventure is launched at the school, 10

year old Lauren Fletcher's classmates will be the first to read it. Lauren's story was

chosen from an overwhelming number of entries in a recent Hamilton City Council

competition, which asked schools around the city to tell the story of the silver-plated

iconic kokopu which guards our city's drains from pollution.

For several years now silver-plated fish insignia, in the shape of the native kokopu fish,

have adorned street drains throughout Hamilton.

Hamilton City Council general manager works and services Chris Allen says, "the fish

act as an important stop-and-think mechanism to protect our waterways. Stormwater

flows over paved areas and down our street gutters picking up everything that is in its

way. All of this rubbish can end up in the Waikato River. When people see the fish on

drains the first thing that should come to mind is that storm water drains are only for

rain".

A campaign to generate awareness of stormwater pollution and educate the community

on how they can make a difference kicked off earlier this year within Hamilton schools.

Focusing in on what the Fish on Drains symbolises, primary and intermediate students

were asked to write a story about the kokopu living in one of Hamilton's freshwater

ecosystems.

As the winner of the competition, Lauren had her story published in full colour and the

book will be distributed to all schools and libraries throughout Hamilton. Councillor

Daphne Bell will present the first book hot off the press at a special school assembly this

Friday 25 July, 9.30am. The book will be read to students by Hamilton City Council

environmental advisor Aaron Fleming.

Nameless until now, the city's Fish on Drains were also christened Rusty as part of the

competition.