More Replanting Our Trees For Survival

Replanting Our Trees For Survival

Room 18 had a very important job today; we "pricked out" and replanted over two hundred tiny flax seedlings, as part of the Trees For Survival programme.

We worked so carefully as a team. Mrs Daniel was also very impressed with our problem solving skills; we worked out with 16 crates and each crate holding 52 seedlings, Senior students, Room 17 and 18 together, have replanted 832 seedlings. WOW!!

Why are we doing all of this? Well, in 12 months time, we'll have over eight hundred plants to create new habitats, prevent errosion and help fight global warming in our local area. We're doing vital work to create a sustainable future!

Planting Trees for Survival

Planting Trees for Survival

Room 17 and Mrs Daniel, with the help of Lynda from Auckland City Council, repotted TWO HUNDRED & FIFTY seedlings, as part of the Trees for Survival programme. The children were such enthusiastic and careful botanists.

Did you know Sunnyhills Senior School students have already repotted over 300 seedlings? We're looking forward to our tiny seedlings growing 30 cm in a year, then we'll be replanting them in a  local reserve for our native fauna to enjoy.

What a fantastic project; a wonderful learning experience with a really positive environmental outcome.

Middle school Enviro Tech Challenge

 Enviro Tech Challenge

 Room 16 read Weslandia by Paul Fleischman, with Mrs Daniel. They talked about the author's messages about sustainability, innovation and being true to yourself.

Next they broke into teams to take part in a tech challenge. Could they build a tower for Weslandia with 20 bamboo skewers, Blutak and 3 rubber bands?

Yes they could! It took lots of talking, problem solving and quite a few fails before BINGO success! Well done Leon, Jenny & Tiffany for creating the tallest tower.

2016 Edible Garden Journey

2016 Edible Garden Journey: First Half of the School Year

JANUARY

At the end of 2015 we found that we had to acquire a resource consent to remove some of the  pohutukawa trees on the boundary line to make way for the planting of the garden.  (The original site was found to have a major sewer line going through it so we wanted to move it along the bank).  

Mrs Venville met with a Consultant Arborist during the school holidays.  

Term 1

A report was prepared and  attached to resource consent documentation Mrs Venville had prepared and submitted to the Council on the 12/2

Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki expressed an interest in the application for the removal of the Pohutukawa trees on the 11/3.  Mrs Venville and Mrs Driver met with the Kaitiaki on the 18/3  and the trust had no objection to the felling of the trees and were not even interested in the wood as the trees were in such poor condition. 

Unfortunately the Council would only grant for the removal of 2 trees which was not enough room for the long term plans of the garden and orchard. 

Not deterred it was decided to relocate the garden to behind M/S prefabs.

Term 2

The Enviro group worked with Noble-Campbell who is a specialist Education for Sustainability teacher.  They will have sessions later in Term 3 and 4 to investigate options and formulate an action plan. They will be looking at things such as - irrigation, compost bins, new worm bins, tools needed, upkeep, fencing options etc and ideas for stage 2 which the whole school will have input on.

Working bee on the 29/5 to dig in planters, flatten area for Trees For Survival structure.  Tree seedlings pricked out and planted in Root trainers by Senior and M/S students.  M/S plants germinated and planted in planter boxes.  Room 18 spouting repaired as was leaking into garden area

The Caretaker Mr Lesley cleaned out worm bin in Junior courtyard and it has been restocked with worms and bedding by Mrs Daniels and Rm 20 who is looking after it.  

New compost and worm bin are to be purchased for Edible Garden Area

Mrs Venville and the Enviro Group will be investigating best option for a large school bin

We had a staff meeting facilitated by Sian Noble-Campbell on Education for Sustainability in week 9 of Term 2.

Planning Edible Gardens

Term Two Update

7^th May 2015

The concept plan has been completed.  It is now with the Senior School students so that they can discuss the drawing to make sure that it aligns with what they proposed.  Any amendments will be fed back to Mr Narayan and alterations made.  We hope to start excavating by the end of May.

Marking Out Our Edible Garden

Marking out the spot!

On Thursday 21st May 2015 the Year 5 / 6 Enviro team marked out the spot for the edible planter boxes with Hari Narayan!

Edible Gardens Progress Update

Term One 2015

Edible Gardens Progress Update

The wheels are in motion!

                     The proposed area for the Edible Gardens

Across Senior School

The students have:

•     Used a map of the school to work out the best location for the Edible garden. 
•    In groups they have then come up with a concept plan of what it might look like.
•    They have looked at:

     -the seasons and their impact on the garden

         -suitable plants taking into account light and temperature 

         -investigated possible summer plantings

  

Hari Narayan (Garden Facilitator Gardens4Health, Diabetes Projects Trust) visited our proposed school garden site on Tuesday 17^th of March and conducted soil profile tests.  He also took measurements and photos for the concept plan for our proposed school garden.  Once the concept plan has been developed Hari, Richard Main (who also works for the trust) and Beryl Oppert (who also worked with the Enviro Team on the Native Trail) will work with a group of senior school students and teachers on the Action Plan (what skills do we need, what could influence the decision, what do we need to find out, what experts do we need to consult, time line etc).