This year, Carterton Kindergarten was honoured by the Enviroschools Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui team with the Māui Dolphin Print Taonga o Kaitiakitanga. This special recognition celebrates their long-standing commitment to sustainability and kaitiakitanga, which they have beautifully woven into their curriculum and everyday practices. Their deep connection to the local community and ongoing reflection on their mahi means that every visit reveals new layers of thoughtful, purposeful action.
Carterton Kindergarten receiving the Māui Dolphin Print Taonga o Kaitiakitanga
A particular strength of Carterton Kindergarten has been their dedication to working towards zero waste. They continue to evolve and maintain practices that support this kaupapa. Waste-free lunchboxes are encouraged, and clearly labelled bins help tamariki make independent decisions about where their waste should go. Green waste is fed to the worm farm, chickens, or pigs.
Waste-free lunchboxes and clearly labelled bins
Paper scraps are shredded and transformed into fire bricks, which are shared with the community or sold. Chippy packets are sent away to be made into survival blankets, and soft plastics are collected and taken to the local supermarket—thanks in part to the kindergarten’s advocacy for a local collection point.
Chippy packets transformed into survival blankets
Their journey away from plastic toys has been ongoing for many years. Regular visits from Martin the Toymaker have supported this transition, with tamariki helping to create toys, sculptures, and moveable barriers using recycled wood.
Martin the Toymaker’s beautiful creations
Recycled wood toy planes
The centre prioritises toys made from natural materials, including felted items and “small things” collections crafted from hard-to-recycle items like bottle tops.
Examples of toys used at the centre
Tamariki now independently bottle worm wee and make paper bricks, with older children guiding younger ones—an inspiring example of tuakana-teina in action.
Making paper bricks and worm wee for the community
The products they create are shared generously with whānau and the wider community through their kete stall and any surplus is offered via their pātaka kai, pātaka pukapuka which are put out on the footpath each day.
The kete stall and pātaka pukapuka
Messages of care for Papatūānuku, kaitiakitanga, and manaakitanga are clearly visible throughout the centre—in wall displays, policies, procedures, and care codes developed over time.
Wall displays, policies, procedures, and care codes developed over time
After mapping the centre with the tamariki, the teachers realised that the children weren’t fully recognising the potential of the ngahere space as a place to learn about the world around them. In response, the staff decided to make better use of the area by introducing purposeful and meaningful ways to explore nature. They created scavenger hunt kete to encourage curiosity and engagement, and it was heartwarming to see older tamariki leading the way—modelling wonder, curiosity and enthusiasm for the natural environment.
Tane Mahuta watches over the ngahere space
Scavenger hunt kete
Carterton Kindergarten also continues to show a strong commitment to being tangata tiriti. This year, for Matariki, they hosted a parent evening where a local whaea shared her maramataka learning and introduced a diary she had developed that people could use reflecting on the different moons and their energy.
A strong commitment to being tangata tiriti
Carterton Kindergarten exemplifies what it means to live and breathe the values of sustainability, kaitiakitanga, and community. Their thoughtful practices, innovative spirit, and deep respect for honouring te ao Māori create a nurturing environment where tamariki thrive as guardians of the earth. We want to celebrate their continued leadership and inspiration in their Enviroschools journey in the Wairarapa.
Ka mau te wehi, Carterton Kindergarten!
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