Five schools from around the country have won a TREEmendous Education Programme – an exciting initiative from the Mazda Foundation focused on environmental education in Primary and Intermediate Schools.

The five winning schools – are Auckland’s Devonport Primary School in Auckland, Matangi School in Waikato, Nelson Intermediate School, Saint Joseph's School in Manawatu and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mangatuna on the East Coast. They have all won $1,000 for their schools as well as 200 native trees and will receive a visit from the TREEmendous team.

Mazda Ambassadors Ruud ‘the Bugman’ Kleinpaste and Shark Scientist, Dr Riley Elliott are looking forward to visit each school to take the students through an interactive learning experience and showing them the importance of sustainability and how everything in our environment is connected.

Additionally, Ruud will work with each school to identify ways they can develop and utilise their existing outdoor spaces and incorporate the environment as an immersive part of the curriculum.

As part of the TREEmendous Education Programme prize, each school also receives $1,000 to go towards an environmental project of their choosing and 200 native trees from Trees That Count for the school grounds.

Devonport Primary School have established a delightful forest classroom - Akomanga Ngahere over the last two years and would like to develop it further as a natural teaching resource.

Team Leader Helen Jaworski says, since covid and lockdowns we have seen a greater need for students to reap the benefits of outdoor learning and the forest is a very special place for all of us.

“We are thrilled to have been selected and look forward to the opportunity to work with Ruud to further capitalise on our Akomanga Ngahere as a teaching resource.”

Matangi School students are well aware of the important part the land plays when it comes to people’s wellbeing, says Team Leader Hayley Bacon

“We are looking forward to creating an open learning shelter area in the forest where we can have lessons, creative play, explore and interact with nature.

“The students also thought the area would be a great place to display our school values as this could be a calm and peaceful place to resolve any conflict or conversations around our school values” Says Hayley.

Sarah Johns, Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths (STEAM) Leader at Nelson Intermediate, says the school is passionate about creating a positive mauri ora (sense of wellbeing) for all students, providing programmes that reflect the values, aspirations and needs of their students.

“We think of our school as one of opportunity, and our learning programmes integrate all areas of the curriculum. We are responsive to student interests and needs and our ākonga are supported and encouraged to share their ideas, questions, and wondering, so that they can then guide the context for teaching and learning,” she says. 

Saint Josephs’ principal, Anna Christiansen, says the school is just at the beginning of their journey toward improving the environment.

“To have people like Ruud come in and inspire the learning of caring for our environment and sustainability will be incredible,” she says.

Nestled in the heart of Te Tairāwhiti on the beautiful East Coast, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Mangatuna, will work with the TREEmendous team to continue expanding their student’s knowledge.

“We have implemented Whenua Wenerei – Landmarks Wednesday, which is our day to commit to our environment. With help from TREEmendous we are also implementing an environmental programme so students can make the most of their natural environment,” says principal Tania Hunter.

David Hodge, Managing Director of Mazda New Zealand and Chairman of the Mazda Foundation, says it is exciting to see the interest from schools for environmental education.

“It really is wonderful to see so many schools passionate about sustainability and the importance of looking after our environment. We are looking forward to seeing the results each of these five winning schools achieve with the help of Ruud and Riley.”

“Entries are now open to apply for a TREEmendous Education Programme in 2024 and we welcome Primary and intermediate Schools to enter”.

Please visit treemendous.org.nz for more information or to enter.