First Wellington City School Achieves Top Enviro Award

Paparangi School celebrates reaching the highest environmental achievement stage for schools today, Tuesday 20th October, 11.30am-1pm. Paparangi is the first school within the Wellington City Council to reach this, the Green-Gold level, a culmination of eleven years work towards sustainability for children, staff and members of the wider community.

Celebrations will include presentations to the full school and a short tour led by the Paparangi School Enviro Team children. Staff and students will plant memorial matai trees within the school grounds, including one to be planted by MP Peter Dunne, who will re-visit the site of a tree he planted at the school in 1999. Wellington City Councillor Malcolm Sparrow and Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Paul Bruce from will be involved in the presentations.

Long serving Paparangi School principal, Sue Blyther, has steered their journey from a school concerned about the environment , as a National Pilot School for Environmental Education, and on into the Enviroschools programme, where they achieved Bronze recognition in 2005 and Silver in 2008.

"Paparangi was one of the first to become an Enviroschool in the Wellington Region, it was a logical choice for us building on the environmental awareness work we had already undertaken. Through Enviroschools our students, staff and community have developed a much greater awareness and understanding of the need to care for our environment, how to take action and to make informed changes."

"The achievement of Green-Gold is due to the actions and dedication of many people - both past and present students, their teachers and our wonderful facilitators. I am truly proud of all we have achieved thus far."

A school achieves Enviroschool Green-Gold recognition when it is able to demonstrate that sustainability is embedded into the school culture. Paparangi School has made many changes to their school and community environment, students have been empowered towards greater decision-taking and have led the way with school waste management practices and have even lobbied WCC for improved recycling systems.

Paparangi School has developed and maintained community partnerships with Paparangi Kindergarten, Ngā Hau e Whā o Papararangi Papakainga & Nursery, Jay St Community Garden, Seton Nossiter Reserve and are working with School Gen.

Wellington City Council joined the Enviroschools network as a funding partner and their support, combined with the regional support of Greater Wellington Regional Council, means that an Enviroschools Facilitator works alongside schools and early childhood centres as they progress together towards more sustainable communities.

Currently Paparangi is one of twenty-two communities that have made the commitment to an ongoing journey with the Enviroschools programme in Wellington City Centre. Of the eighty-four Enviroschools in the Greater Wellington Region seven schools have achieved Green-Gold since the programme began in 2004.

GWRC works in partnership with territorial authorities and local trusts to support the Enviroschools Programme across the region. Enviroschools contribute to ecological regeneration and the creation of healthy, resilient and sustainable communities.

www.enviroschools.org.nz/in_your_region/wellington

For more information contact Gill Stewart, Wellington Region Enviroschools Co-ordinator: 021 0253 2137.

ENDS

Contact: Media phone: 021 914 266