July 2022 Recipients
Rhode Street School in Hamilton is embarking on a student-led environmental project to create a medicinal Māori garden.
Known as rongoā, the medicinal garden is part of the school’s Ki te Rongo Mauri Ora Mara project which will help support student’s environmental education and provide health benefits for school whanau and the wider community.
Rhode Street School Principal Shane Ngatāi says the recent visit from Kleinpaste and Dr Elliott inspired students and teachers alike to delve deeper into the living world and the impact of climate change on flora and fauna in Aotearoa.
“The generous donation of 200 native seedlings from the TREEmendous Education Programme has greatly accelerated our school-wide commitment to improving our teaching of ecological sustainability by incorporating mātauranga Māori kaupapa (traditional Māori knowledge) alongside the NZ Science Curriculum,” says Ngatāi.
“The seedlings we planted focus on the native species that support a rongoā (medicinal) Māori garden planted on our ecological island for future generations to use as their teaching medicinal library and resource centre.”
