Grants to support school sustainability projects announced

Horizons Regional Council has awarded 24 grants to Enviroschools with environmental and sustainability projects for 2023.
 

The Pat Kelly Enviroschools Action Fund, formally the Enviroschools Action Fund, was renamed at the end of 2019 in memory of former Horizons Councillor Pat Kelly who was an advocate for the programme. This fund supports sustainability projects from Enviroschools in the Manawatū–Whanganui Region.
Horizons senior environmental educator Sarah Williams say council received 27 applications, seeking a total of just under $30,000.
“This year we have seen more schools connecting with the Enviroschools programme and recently we celebrated our 100^th school signing up,” says Mrs Williams.
“We have seen an increased desire for water conservation projects last year. With the impacts of climate change increasing, we wanted to consider how we can best support more action learning with our tamariki around water and ways to conserve this precious and finite resource.
“With the increase in number of Enviroschools and adding a water conservation option to the grant, we have increased our funding from $20,000 to $26,000.
“We awarded funding to eight water conservation projects with the majority of those wanting to purchase rainwater collection tanks. Other projects include food sustainability, waste management and creating gardens for rongoā and biodiversity.
“The full allocation of funding has been shared across a range of projects, covering most districts in the region.”
 
 
 
The 2023 funding has been awarded to:
Water Conservation Projects

• Bulls Kindergarten (Rangitīkei) – to purchase water tank gauges and water containers
• Fun House Learning Centre (Whanganui) – to purchase and install water tanks
• Kimbolton Early Learning Centre (Manawatū) – towards purchase of water barrels for rainwater collection
• Learning Links Childcare (Horowhenua)  - the purchase of rainwater collection tanks
• Learning Adventures Ashhurst (Palmerston North) – move and plumb existing water tank
• Marton School (Rangitīkei) – Mara huawhenua water conservation project to purchase and install water tank and pump
• Tui Early Learners Feilding (Manawatū) – to purchase and install water tanks
• Whanganui Girls College (Whanganui) – to purchase of a solar power irrigation system

• Bainesse School (Manawatū) – towards hillside restoration with native plants to increase biodiversity
• Betty Montford Kindergarten (Horowhenua) – towards creation of a rongoa mara garden
• Brunswick School (Whanganui) – towards development of a fire pit and seating area
• Bunnythorpe School (Manawatū) – towards development of an orchard
• Central Kids Paraone Kindergarten (Ruapehu) – towards creation of a bee and butterfly sanctuary
• Hiwinui School (Manawatū) – to purchase recycling bins
• Kimbolton School (Manawatū) – for purchasing a chicken coop
• Marton Junction Preschool (Rangitīkei) – towards exploration of the ngahere and the biodiversity
• Marton Childcare Centre (Rangitīkei) – towards creation of a sensory garden
• Newbury School (Manawatū) – towards creating a school vegetable garden
• Nga Tawa (Rangitīkei) – toward creating a carving for their Wairau project
• Opiki School (Horowhenua) – purchasing of a tunnel house
• Palmerston North Girls High (Palmerston North) – to purchase recycling bins
• Papanui Junction School (Rangitīkei) – towards the purchase of traps for pest control
• Poroutawhao School (Horowhenua) – to purchase raised garden beds
• Taoroa School (Rangitīkei) – toward a worm farm and waste management