Successful three days for Southland Enviroschools
Media release
25 November 2022
Successful three days for Southland Enviroschools
Over 220 students, teachers and supporters gathered in three river catchments over three days to learn about the importance of waterways in Southland.
The theme for last week’s annual Enviroschools Hui was Water of Life. Enviroschools Regional Coordinator Josh Sullivan says it was important to highlight how Southland’s water is central to our economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being.
“Young people have an active part to play in sustainably managing and improving our freshwater.”
This is the first time the Enviroschools Hui has catered to different catchments over multiple days. Josh Sullivan said he was pleased with the enthusiasm and curiosity displayed by the students.
“We hosted students from Mataura, Oreti, Aparima and Waiau river catchments and the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. This hui is an excellent opportunity to support the enviro-leaders of tomorrow and to foster a deeper connection between schools, agencies, and communities with their nearby waterways.”
Students, teachers and parents participated in six activities over three workstations to highlight the state of water in each catchment. These activities included:
- Catchment: knowing what is going on in the student’s catchment area and how various activities can change the water quality.
- Microplastics: understanding what microplastics are and why they are a problem.
- Stream Life: exploring the many and varied types of life in the catchment’s streams and rivers and learning what their presence or absence can tell us about water quality.
Josh Sullivan was grateful for the support of Enviroschools partners Thriving Southland, Hokonui Rūnanga and Te Pūkenga.
