Schools Art Competition Moves Mountains

4 April 2002
Mother Earth

Schools Art Competition Moves Mountains For The Environment

Classrooms around the country will reach new creative heights with the launch of the fourth annual WWF/Mother Earth Art Competition.

The art competition, run by both Mother Earth and WWF, the global conservation network, is open to all 2,460 primary and intermediate schools nationwide. To participate, schools are asked to create a canvas banner that follows a highly topical environmental theme. The theme for 2002 is:

'New Zealand Mountains - Living the High Life'.

Jo Breese, chief executive officer of WWF, explains the rationale behind the theme: "This year's theme is to celebrate the UN International Year of the Mountain and bring it much closer to home. In New Zealand we have many unique volcanic and alpine landscapes and we believe this is the perfect theme to allow teachers and pupils to explore them in ways that are truly meaningful and real to them."

Each participating school is asked to submit one entry. From this submission a prestigious panel of judges selects 24 regional finalists. Each banner from the regional finals will go into the grand final.

The overall winning class will receive a major prize of an action packed environmental trip to Wellington, visiting Te Papa, Parliament Buildings, Wellington Zoo and WWF's Treehouse headquarters. If a Wellington school wins they will go on a similar trip to Auckland.

First and second runners up will win art supplies for their school and the remaining finalists will receive a $700 supply of Mother Earth bars for the schools to use personally or to use for further fundraising purposes.

A spokesperson for Mother Earth says: "The aim of the art competition is to promote environmental awareness among the next generation. The competition is a fun way for children to learn about the importance of protecting the world we live in but above all, realising that they can play a major part in achieving this."

Schools have been sent entry forms and from there each participating school will receive a very large canvas to create their mural. A resource pack is available online for teachers who are looking for ideas to get their class motivated. Ideas for representing New Zealand mountains can be found on the WWF website, www.wwf.org.nz.

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