MEDIA RELEASE 10 July 2013

David Street School – serious about caring for their environment

David Street School take their role as care takers of the environment very seriously. Tomorrow 150 9 and 10 year olds, their teachers and some parents, will take part in a ‘Let’s Keep New Zealand Beautiful Together’ litter clean-up which will include Morrinsville’s Wisely, Lockerbie, Howie and Thomas Parks. Together they will pick up rubbish that if left would eventually find its way into our waterways and oceans.

Run by Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, the clean-up is part of a nationwide initiative which aims to educate and encourage Kiwis to re-duce, re-use and re-cycle – all thanks to Keep New Zealand Beautiful, Coca-Cola Foundation Beverage Container Recycling Community Grants.

“The ‘Let’s Keep New Zealand Beautiful Together’ litter clean-ups create a better understanding of rubbish and its effect on our environment, waterways and even our own health,” says Conservation Volunteers New Zealand’s Clair Hobi. “Discarded rubbish eventually finds its way into our water ways with toxins entering the eco-system and affecting wildlife in the area. We can all do our bit to stop the damaging effects of litter.”

Students will also take part in an interactive educational programme aimed at increasing understanding of the devastating effects of rubbish on our environment.

Marine litter, particularly plastic, has a major impact on wildlife with animals becoming entangled or mistaking the litter for food, eating the plastic and feeding it to their young. As the plastic breaks into small fragments in the water it leaches potentially toxic chemicals into our seas, threatening our ocean wildlife and us.

Cigarette filters are also commonly mistaken for food by many animals. The toxic chemicals from discarded cigarette butts found in our water supply has been estimated at concentrations of around one cigarette butt per 7.5 litres of water on this earth.

Rubbish collected by the students will be sorted and where possible recycled, then weighed and audited so the Council and other local organisations can be informed about where our rubbish comes from.

Morrinsville residents are encouraged to discover how they too can make positive environmental changes by visiting www.alittlealot.org.nz and making a personal pledge such as recycling, re-using, walking instead of using a vehicle, getting involved with conservation projects with their local community and many more.

Conservation Volunteers New Zealand run conservation and environmental programmes including habitat regeneration, enhancing our waterways and protecting New Zealand’s special habitats and wildlife.

Founded in Australia in 1982, Conservation Volunteers expanded operations to New Zealand in 2006. Today, Conservation Volunteers is a leader in delivery of practical conservation programmes, community involvement and a range of training programmes involving over 12,000 volunteers across Australia and New Zealand every year.

For more information visit www.conservationvolunteers.co.nz.

ENDS

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