Schools Awarded Funding for 2025 Sustainability Projects

The Pat Kelly Enviroschools Action Fund supports innovative environmental and sustainability initiatives across the Horizons region.

Horizons senior environmental educator and Enviroschools regional leader Sarah Williams says council received 33 applications, seeking a total of $51,000 this year.

“We continue to see a growing desire from schools and students to learn and implement sustainable practices.
“With 118 Enviroschools in the region we strive to fund as many projects as we can across the region. It was great to see so many new Enviroschools apply for funding this year.

“Horizons Regional Council remains committed to supporting the next generation of environmental leaders through the Enviroschools programme.

“We also offer support to those schools and centres that are not part of the programme with our Environmental Education Grant that is open all year round to help kick start action projects with a focus on biodiversity, biosecurity, and water quality. Details of this are available on our grants and sponsorship section of our website”.

The recipients of the 2025 Pat Kelly Enviroschools Action fund are:

• All About Children Bulls (Rangitīkei) to purchase composting and recycling equipment for their waste minimisation project

• Ruahine Bulls Kindergarten (Rangitīkei) to purchase gardening equipment for seed propagation

• Bulls School (Rangitīkei) to create signage for their Mātauranga Ngahere project

• Kakatahi School (Whanganui) to purchase of native trees to increase biodiversity at school

• Kiwitea School (Manawatū) to create of a sensory garden

• Learning Links Childcare Centre (Horowhenua) to build a lizard and invertebrate garden

• Mt Biggs School (Manawatū) to support their school kai garden

• Nga Tawa Diocesan School (Rangitīkei) to purchase riparian plants

• Orautoha School (Ruapehu) to purchase fruit trees for a school orchard

• Pahiatua School (Tararua) to support the increased growing capacity of their school kai garden 

• Poroutawhao School (Horowhenua) for their seed propagation project

• Ruahine Milson Kindergarten (Palmerston North) towards water conservation initiatives

• Ruahine Summerhill Early Learning Centre (Palmerston North) to support litterless lunches

• St Joseph’s School (Manawatū) to support growing kai

• Tangimoana School (Manawatū) for purchase of gardening tools

• Taumarunui Primary School (Ruapehu) for building and designing pou for their ka mua, ka muri project

• Tawhero School (Whanganui) towards the purchase of a tunnel house

• Tui Early Learners (Manawatū) to purchase of gardening equipment for their māra kai