Whangarei district schools win $12,700 environmental awards

The Northland Regional Council has begun presenting cheques to the 11 schools in the Whangarei district which are sharing a $12,700 slice of this year’s Environmental Curriculum Awards (ECAs).

Otaika Valley School’s gardening expansion plans received a huge boost this week when a Northland Regional Council Environmental Curriculum Award and $1400 was presented to the school by Northland Regional Councillor Bill Rossiter.

Whangarei-based regional council member Bill Rossiter is pictured at Otaika Valley School, which he visited on Tuesday 17 July to deliver the first of a series of 11 cheques to Whangarei district winners as part of the council’s 2012 awards delivery roadshow.

The annual $20,000 awards aim to foster excellence in environmental education, with schools eligible for up to $2000 each for their efforts to educate children ‘in, about and for’ the region’s environment.

This year 18 award winners across Northland will receive between $350 and $2000 each for their 19 projects, 11 of those in the Whangarei district.

Eleven winning schools are based in the Whangarei district; Kamo Intermediate ($400), Kaurihohore School ($1100) Mangakahia Area School ($1400), Morningside School ($600), Ngunguru School ($1900), Otaika Valley School ($1400), Parua Bay School ($900), Ruakaka School ($1000), Saint Francis Xavier School ($2000), Te Kura o Otangarei ($1000) and Waipu School ($1000).

Their cheques will be presented by one of the council’s Whangarei-based councillors; council chairman Craig Brown, his deputy John Bain, Tony Davies-Colley or Bill Rossiter from mid-July to late-August.

Meanwhile, of the remaining winners, five are based in the Far North district and two in Kaipara.

The ECAs recognise and support the environmental education efforts put in by more than 2000 Northland students (aged five to 18) in more than 100 classes and/or school student environmental groups.