Four senior classes at Boulcott School undertook the Hutt City World of Waste tour in the hope that together they could encourage change across the whole school.
A Guiding Principle of the Enviroschools Kaupapa is honouring Te Ao Māori, and the Enviroschools guided World of Waste Tour begins with mihi to place and an activity which explores what is mined and harvested from special places to create everyday items and packaging. Reflections back to the significant whenua, taiao and tangata are explored throughout the day. At the landfill students consider how atua might feel about how the iron ore sand, bauxite, silica sand, trees or oil that are harvested, used briefly then buried in the landfill.
Students at Boulcott school wondered:
“Tāwhirimātea might feel blamed and told off for blowing rubbish but that’s not fair because it is hard not to spread it around”
“Tane might feel angry or disappointed that their hard work is destroyed to make space for rubbish”
Students expressing themselves through art
During the first stop at the landfill, ākonga hear that with the expansion last year, Raukawa gecko and copper skinks were relocated to Motueka Reserve in Stokes Valley.
Some students were concerned – “Did they lose family members in the move?” “Do they have all that they need in their new home?”
The connection to animals ignites a drive to action for some tamariki. Those who live in Stokes Valley feel a sense of pride that their community is holding the responsibility of looking after these creatures now.
The Earthlink visit was a place for tamariki to be artists and designers, to work together to innovate and just like the staff at Earthlink, think creatively about ways to repurpose, reuse and recycle.
Visiting the Wheel of Fortune exhibit
Tamariki were amazed at the work undertaken in the workshop to repair and sell in the Earthlink shop. Some of the items were also used in an art installation at the final stop, the Dowse art museum, whose educators make sure to weave in viewings if appropriate to the kaupapa. The Wheel of Fortune exhibit was a way for tamariki to consider the important things in life e.g. hauora, whānau, joy.
While at the Dowse museum, students got to meet Nuku Tewhatewha, the oldest taonga there, along with a beautiful mihi from Enviroschools team member Ropata Rona. Students responded with a school waiata, which inspired a whakataukī in response –
Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe, me he manga teitei
Be strong in what you seek and bow to only a lofty mountain
Students singing waiata
The powerful messages carved into the artwork commissioned by Wiremu Tako Ngātata (Te Ātiawa Rangatira) talk about ensuring healthy waterways, abundant kai and a peaceful future are a strong way for students to see the next steps they have agency to take.
Student artwork
Back at kura, ākonga discuss how they could bring back composting to the school and increase the number of NOOD food days.
“We could share this idea with the Enviro Group, my sister is in it, and I will let her know we would like a compost system. We could get bins, put them out but it’s about people power we would have to commit to managing the compost”
“We could put the math’s sheets when we finish with it in the compost bin”
“What happens to the leaves after they get raked up?”
Students also wanted to ensure school events were zero waste:
“Currently our school has washable cups and plates for events, the home and school committee gather the cans at the end of events and take them to Macauley’s”
”Our next step could be at the Christmas gala – make drinks in glass bottles and have washable cups”
“When we have events we can provide cordial instead of little bottles of drink”
Beyond the gates they will:
“Talk to big companies to make plastic in the right numbers”
“Ask the government to ban plastic which is not recyclable”
And thoughts extended to home:
“Educate whānau about what can be recycled, and how and where to recycle”,
“Instead of using plastic water bottles could use wooden bottles, hue, leather, sap or seaweed”,
“I saw how the soft plastic was made into fence posts and so now I am inspired to recycle my soft plastic at home which we do not currently do” – Kaiako
“A piece of rubbish is floating on the ground I will pick it up because I know what will happen up and then I will recycle it”.
In addition to the World of Waste Tour, with support from Enviroschools, Boulcott School were able to connect with Sustainable Coastlines and undertake a beach clean-up at Hīkoikoi reserve followed by a waste audit back at school. The students found 88% of the 679 items were plastic. Many were items the students would encounter in daily life, including 203 food wrappers,10 straws, and 47 bottle caps.
Beach clean-up at Hīkoikoi reserve
Carrying out the waste audit
During the term they visited the Marine Education Bait House at Tapu Te Ranga Marine Reserve and held a video call from Ocean Explorers.
Kaiako were able to notice how ākonga were layering their knowledge over the term, thinking about where the rubbish came from and where should it be.
Kaiako shared their highlight for the year:
“World of waste tours and all our beach clean mahi. Really meaningful for our tamariki and easy to link to new curriculum restrictions & time challenges” – kaiako
Student write up in the school newsletter
During the clean-up students remarked:
“I found so much rubbish in this bush. I thought this beach was empty but no, no, no. No good at all”
“It’s alive, it’s a living thing”
“Look I found a lizard”
“You have got to have your eyes open, I found a cigarette filter”
“Is this rubbish- could it be reused?”
Enviroschools look forward to supporting the next steps the Boulcott ākonga would like to see for their school, community and te taiao.
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