Taking Action - Helping to spread the word about how to help fight Kauri Dieback Disease

GIVE KAURI DIEBACK THE BOOT

SUNNYHILLS SCHOOL ECO LEADERS

At Sunnyhills School we are committed to helping restore habitats and reduce threats.  Since 2016, our studies have led to (amoung other things), planting nearly 2000 native trees, trapping over 50 mammal pests in the Thames Coast Kiwi Sanctuary and holding a Pestival to give out traps to the local community.  

The new foe we’re focussed on is so small you can only see it with a microscope, but it can take down giants: Phytophthora agathidicida - Kauri Dieback disease.  Last year, in our specialist enviro lessons we began studying this disease, which is spread on shoes.  Some highlights of our unit have included a visit by Maori expert Te Amohaere, a straw experiment and rewriting the myth “The Tahora and the Kauri”.  

The Year 4,5 & 6 Eco Leaders were sad to find out that only 40 - 60% of people use the shoe scrub & spray stations that help prevent kauri dieback disease.  We hoped to create an eye catching way of telling people about how they can help prevent kauri dieback - always “Scrub, Spray and Stay on the Track”.  Our sculpture is meant to be colourful, unique and informative, so we can stop this tiny foe from spreading and restore our native forests.  The many spots on our work represent the tiny spores of the disease and old boots seemed like a great way to get the message across about how it’s spread.  Except paint and pens, everything in our collaborative work is reused.

Our work has been on show in the Auckland Botanic Gardens Gallery for a month and you can now see it at the Pakuranga Library. We hope it means more people respect the rahuis and use the scrub and spray stations.