Eating from the Edible Garden

Today the Middle School Enviro Monitors sowed over 40 radishes & rocket plants, using seeds and pots from the New World Little Gardens.

Afterwards, we harvested bok choy and carrots. We cut the bok choy at ground level so it will hopefully grow back. The carrots were huge! Joey's one was a double.

Next we cleaned and cut up our fresh veges. We stir fried them in sesame oil and seasoned with salt. Then it was time time to eat. Yum! So fresh and delicious.

Lastly we put the vege scraps in the compost, washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

We can't wait to harvest and eat more from the edible garden.

Greenfingers Gang plant peas in their lunchtime ❤🌱

Who's That Animal Pest?

We continued our investigations into the pests in our green spaces this week.

Can you guess which pests left the evidence? Follow the link to play the game:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KefTIP38aegwicnOfOxee8Iiq5NdPbrY9GQxAEIstXA/edit#slide=id.g1bd2ee9ff1_1_98

We also recorded our predictions and wonderings about invasive species. We began to come up with a plan of action to find out more about pests at Sunnyhills.

Next we'll create and set tracker tunnels and chew cards.

Students meet with the Chairperson of The Local Howick Board

Today Gabrielle and Hollie met with David Collings the Chair of the Local Howick Board to discuss the council not using pesticide when spraying as it kills bees. The students explained that bees are one of the very few things that we humans need to live. Without bees there would be no pollination and that would lead to no fruit or vegetables. Herbivores would have less food to eat and some would die out. Then the carnivores too would be affected. The good news is that the council only use herbicides as they too are very concerned that the bee population is in decline. Mr Collings also signed the student's petition to ban the sale of pesticides as there are alternative products available.

Gabrielle and Hollie presenting their Inquiry about bees and the reasons for 
                                      their decline in numbers

Mr Collings signing the student's petition

Our edible garden's growing! Progress photos of the winter crops ...

 Can you name these veges?

Anemones for the bees 🐝❤

Who are our NZ animal celebrities and villains?

To launch our Term 3 enviro inquiry about protecting our endemic species from invasive pests, the middle and senior school took part in an animal scavenger hunt, through the native bush walk. Do you know the difference between native & endemic?

"I found it really fun to search through the gardens. We looked in places we wouldn't normally go and thought outside the box" Samantha

"It's so fun to go in nature".
Finn

"I wish we could do this for every lesson. I didn't know that honeybees were introduced"
Cynthia

Greenfingers Gang - capsicum harvest - thanks Mother Earth

 The capsicum plants Mother Earth donated in spring are still going strong for our Matariki middle of winter harvest. Wow! Just as well too, because our kumaras need more time.

Morgan is also tending to seedlings we've grown from the capsicum seeds, so there'll be many more to come.