On Wednesday in Week 4, 10DLM went to the Ōtautahi Climate Campus at the old Avonside Girls’ High School site in the red zone.

Our class was divided into three groups depending on whether we wanted to learn how to make herbal remedies, plant a butterfly and skink garden, or establish a pizza garden. We got to ride around the campus on bikes and feed and pet the hens after a brief break. In the herbal group, we got to make cough syrup, kawakawa balm, and infused oils. We also studied the applications and advantages of numerous plants. 

The butterfly group created a habitat for Canterbury’s endemic Boulder Copper Butterflies and skink population by planting natural flora and rocks that attract them. In addition to planting new plants for pizza, the pizza garden group maintained the area to rejuvenate the garden. Overall our trip to the climate campus was a great experience. We learned so much and had so much fun.

On Friday last week, 10NTM had their visit. We planted trees, designed and built a water collection system for chickens, and built a habitat for skinks. All these activities revolve around climate action and by taking part in this trip, my classmates and I had a positive impact on the environment. We even rode bikes to influence using vehicles with less carbon emissions. Overall the trip was amazing, we learned that taking small steps can make a big difference.

By: Beth Ellis, Elanor Sellick and Arsh Kaur