Fiordland College students to dig in

Students from Fiordland College will be going home with dirt under their fingernails, thanks to a new initiative supported by the Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund.

The school is one of five community groups to receive a share of more than $35,000 of funding from the latest round of allocations.

Fiordland College is in the process of becoming one of the first secondary schools in Southland to become an Enviroschool.

The Enviroschool programme is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage schools and communities to become environmentally aware, and to teach, demonstrate and practice sustainable living.

Fiordland College assistant principal Brendan Carroll says the school has decided to undertake a community garden to help achieve this.

“We thought a community garden was a great way to strengthen ties between us and the community, while teaching the students about sustainable living. We will be working closely with local people to ensure the new garden becomes an important part of the community,” he says.

The garden is already under way and will grow fruit and vegetables, which will be used by the home economics class and as produce to sell as fund-raisers. In the future the school plans to plant a number of native trees in the area.

“The community garden will teach our students life-long skills in a practical setting. They will also learn about nutrition and get to encounter the science of nature first-hand,” says Mr Carroll.

“We are truly grateful to the Meridian Community Fund for its support – without it this initiative would have been very hard to get off the ground.”

The Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund granted $9,000 to the school for the purchase of glasshouses, sheds, a trailer, watering equipment and other materials.

Alan Seay, chairperson of the Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund, says the community garden concept is exactly the kind of initiative the fund was set up to support.

“The community garden is a fantastic initiative for the school and the surrounding community. As a renewable energy company, we are delighted to be able to support something that encourages sustainable living,” he says.

“The Meridian Community Funds were set up with this kind of project in mind. The garden will benefit the whole community, while teaching students valuable life-long lessons.”

Applications for consideration in the next round of funding from the Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund must be submitted by 4th March, 2009.

Latest Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund recipients:

Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust – Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust provides social, health and educational services to the community. The Community Fund granted $9,300 to the Trust to assist the development of the Te Koawa Turoa Takitimu environmental project that profiles Mahika Kai (traditional food protection and procurement), wetland restoration and traditional use of native plants.

Attitude Programmes for Schools – Attitude Programmes for Schools work in conjunction with health teachers to provide presentations and resources to secondary schools. The Programmes are designed to give young people the tools to construct meaningful lives. The Community Fund granted $982.27 to assist with the provision of the Attitude Programmes for Schools at Te Anau College in 2009.

Te Anau Biocontrol Group – $6,000 was granted to assist with the Te Anau Biocontrol Group’s aim to use biocontrol as a sustainable, long term solution to reducing the impact of invasive weeds, such as broom, in the Te Anau Basin and wider Te Anau area.

Te Anau Community Board – The Meridian Manapouri Te Anau Community Fund granted $10,000 to the Te Anau Community Board to cover the costs of foreshore planting, picnic tables on concrete slabs and entry bollards and signage, on its planned 2.3 kilometre walkway around Lake Te Anau.

Fiordland College – Fiordland College was granted $9,000 to purchase glass houses, sheds, a trailer, watering equipment and other materials required to enable the Enviroschool project.