Envirogroup and Environmental Sustainability

 

At Ōpoutere School, our commitment to the environment is woven into every aspect of school life. Our student-led Envirogroup drives our environmental vision, ensuring that progress is celebrated and new ideas are constantly added. Students here have a strong sense of connection to the environment and know that their actions can create a more sustainable world. This journey is enriched by Māori perspectives, which are integral to our projects.
We've been on this journey since our whole-school vision was developed with the support of students, staff, and our community. Through recent review, this has led to many tangible changes and a more vibrant, healthy school ecosystem.

​

What Our Envirogroup Does
Our Envirogroup, which includes the dedicated Kaitiaki Crew, undertakes a wide range of initiatives to care for our environment and promote sustainable practices:

Waste Management: We actively work to reduce waste by recycling paper through the "Paper for Trees" program, which helps us earn native trees to plant on our school grounds. We also use worm farms to compost food scraps from our lunch bins, turning waste into nutrient-rich "worm wee" for our gardens. We have updated our bin system and run inquiries to educate the whole school on how to be more waste-free.

School Gardens and Ngahere Areas: We maintain vegetable gardens built from recycled materials, where students plant, care for, and harvest produce. We also have a shade house where we work closely with “Trees For Survival” and transplant native seedlings into larger PCB bags, helping to regenerate our native area and riparian plantings in our local community. The Ngahere is a special place where we play and where every student has planted a tree, helping us to attract native birds and insects.

Community Partnerships: We regularly partner with our community, holding working bees and collaborating with local groups like the Wharekawa Catchment Care Group, Trees For Survival, Paper for Trees, Rayonier Matariki Forests, TCDC and Waikato Regional Council. These partnerships have been crucial in building our shade house and helping us plant native trees along the Wharekawa Harbour.
Hands-on Learning: Environmental action is deeply embedded in our curriculum. We conduct whole-school inquiries on topics like waste, host guest speakers, and participate in projects such as beach clean-ups and local planting days. 
 

Our Envirogroup demonstrates our belief that environmental sustainability isn't just a subject; it's a living part of our school culture.