Read here to see what Team Green have been up to.

UPDATES FROM TEAM GREEN 

COMPETITION TIME!

Team Green is organising a Climate Action poster competition open to all year 7 and 8 students, individually or in groups.

Each poster must show actual action(s) that each of us can take for the climate. Remember, we have put lots of examples in the notices throughout the year. Prizes include swimming pool vouchers, ice-cream vouchers and blocks of fair trade chocolate.

As part of the ONE Summit here in Wanaka, Team Green students participated in several events last week.

On Wednesday, students learnt about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how various organisations apply them. In groups, students were asked to imagine Wanaka in 2050 when these goals would be implemented. Another activity involved choosing two goals and finding solutions to solve them both at once, needless to say that it was difficult but very rewarding nonetheless.

On Friday, students went to Mount Iron to observe land forms and native plants including tiny mosses, we learnt about trapping and had fun with tamed ferrets (which had been trained to catch rabbits!) From there, the students then visited the Bullock Creek Spring - the old hatchery - and learnt about freshwater and how to protect it by restoring wetlands and planting riparian trees.

Florence Micoud

ONE SUMMIT STUDENT WRITE UP 

Last week we got the special opportunity to attend the ONE Summit event. It was a wonderful experience. We learned a lot of new and exciting things!

At the Wednesday event we listened to four amazing speakers. Sam Judd, who talked about Sustainable Coastlines, and how we can keep our oceans and waterways clean and healthy.

Nadia who works at Cardrona told us about how she is working to keep Cardrona as sustainable, and even renewable, as it can be.

Liam and Hannah also spoke to us, sharing their story of their rubbish trip. They have been living without rubbish and a home for many years now.

We were very lucky to have listened to these amazing people who are working their hardest to bring this planet back to what it once was!

After the talks we went to some workshops that ONE Summit had organised. The first group used what they had learned from the speakers in the morning, and drew sustainable, and regenerative solutions for our community. There were many great ideas floating around.

In the second workshop we met with a group of other kids with similar views, and discussed solutions that would solve one of the many problems happening in our world. Again, there were so many great ideas.

On Friday we had a practical session taking place at three beautiful locations in Wanaka. Mount Iron, Bullock Creek and Te Kakano.

At Mount Iron we learned about drylands and identified plants which can be found there, and about the animals that are destroying it. "I learned about the awesome plants that you would just trample on thinking that they're just dried out moss but were actually heaps of different species of plants" said Chloe Murray. We also met two ferrets who are specially trained to kill rabbits in the most humane way possible.

At Bullock Creek reserve, we learned about aquatic plants that filter the water keeping it nice, clear and clean. We then had the chance to take care of the newly planted trees that were growing along the edge of the creek.

We then went to Te Kakano and learnt about different native plants and their Maori uses.

All in all, we had an amazing time and gained lots of new knowledge about our local surroundings.

By Lena Pollard and Lulu Pettit