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Councillors’ Award

The final award of the evening is the Councillors’ Award. This award is decided at the sole discretion of the two elected councillors on the judging panel, Councillors Lyndal Ludlow and Alastair Gibson. I’d like to invite Alastair up here to tell us a little about their recipient this year.

Winner: Halfmoon Bay School

Halfmoon Bay School students are experiencing outdoor education to the max, and in the process are learning to appreciate and look after their unique environment.

The Stewart Island/Rakiura school has been an Enviroschool since 2012, with students exposed to a wide range of activities across different locations on the island. These activities include exploring and identifying the wide range of fungi on the island, and the setting up, checking and maintenance of a rat-trapping line. A rat-trapping competition saw students catch more than 600 rats, garnering them international media attention. They work closely with Stewart Island/Rakiura Community & Environment Trust on penguin monitoring and operate a kura kai garden within the school grounds, producing food for school events.

Students have enjoyed educational trips to Ruapuke Island, Ulva Island and Port William among others. They undertake a wide range of activities through environmental education, including Tītī Island social science investigation, whitebait mahi, helping check trap lines on Ulva Island, a survival ocean swim, freshwater kayaking, tramping, an overnight bivvy stay, foraging and hunting for kai, litter intelligence on the beaches and track maintenance with Department of Conservation.

Students and teachers are immersed in the activities, are well supported by the community, and are making valuable community connections and helping to ensure their sustainability into the future.

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