Entries open for Rotorua primary and intermediate schools environmental awards

Entries are open for this year’s Keep Rotorua Beautiful Primary and Intermediate Schools Environmental Awards which recognise the efforts of students, teachers and caretakers.

Run by Keep Rotorua Beautiful and sponsored by Rotorua Canopy Tours, the awards recognise the environmental work of students, teachers and caretakers at local primary and intermediate schools.

“A lot of our schools are part of the EnviroSchools programme and/or doing a lot of good work that contributes to local efforts to take care of our environment and we want to recognise that,” says Rotorua District Council’s Keep Rotorua Beautiful coordinator, Rose Hiha-Agnew.

She is encouraging schools and families to nominate students, teachers and caretakers for the awards, which are being sponsored by Rotorua Canopy Tours. There are three categories – Totara Teacher Environmental Award, Kowhai Student Environmental Award and Manuka Caretaker – Kaitiaki Award.

Councillor Janet Wepa, who leads the Rotorua District Council’s Sustainable Living portfolio, says recognising and sharing what’s being done locally to enhance the environment is a good way to encourage others to also “do their bit”.

“There are some really inspirational children, teachers and caretakers putting in a lot of time and effort to run excellent projects and activities at their schools like clean-up days, eco days, native plantings, communal vegetable gardens and recycling initiatives.

“As a district we are striving to enhance the environment and reinvigorate local neighbourhoods and schools are taking a leadership role in these areas,” Cr Wepa says.

“What they do makes a real difference and they are setting a great example for the rest of Rotorua.

“I would love to see entries coming in from all our primary and intermediate schools and we will help them to share their stories to inspire others in the community,” she says.

Anyone can nominate a teacher, student or caretaker and nominations for the awards can be submitted in any medium including email, letter, collage, poster, video or story, to highlight the work of those being nominated. Entrants are encouraged to be creative to help gain recognition for their school and individuals.

The winners of each of the three categories will win two Rotorua Canopy Tour passes for themselves and $500 worth of plant vouchers for their school, sponsored by Keep Rotorua Beautiful. The winning trio will receive their awards during a morning tea with Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick.

Entries are open until 5pm on 9 December 2014 and winners will be notified the following day. For more information about the awards people can contact Rose Hiha-Agnew by emailing her at rose.hiha-agnew@rdc.govt.nz.

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