Late in Term 1 our Year 11 Environmental English class was lucky enough to embark on an afternoon with Bay Conservation Alliance to participate in the work they are doing with pest control in the native forest out the back of Te Puke, at Otawa.

Environmental English (1ENGEE) is a new Level 1 English Course this year. We use the theme of environmental concerns and issues as the basis of our English work.

We study texts - films, speeches, stories, and articles - that have environmental themes. For example, the recently released movie "Don't Look Up", the NZ short story "The Seahorse and the Reef" by Witi Ihimaera and Greta Thunberg's famous "How Dare You" speech. 

We also use environmental ideas for our own writing and speeches - shark finning, deforestation, endangered geckos, plastic use, and town planning for cars are examples of such topics explored by oral presentations.

On our field day with the Bay Conservation Alliance, Educator Janie Stevenson led us down some trapping lines, taught us how to set the traps, and shared valuable information about the damage rats, stoats and possums do to our native trees and birds.

Nothing beats a day out in nature that is directly connected to classroom learning!