Attending to wellbeing at Eastwoodhill Arboretum

‘I’M LIKE A BIRD’: Greer Newman, with a little help from a trampoline, gets airborne among hanging birdhouses at the Aurora Education Foundation’s Enviro Well-Being Day at Eastwoodhill Arboretum. Pictures by Rebecca Grunwell

Students impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle were able to take their minds off the disaster at a wellbeing day at Eastwoodhill Arboretum this week.

Sixteen schools were represented at the event organised by Aurora Education Foundation.

“We explicitly designed Aurora Enviro Wellbeing Day to give special care, support and much-needed solace to those children in the district whose families have been hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle,” Aurora executive director Sunny Bush said.

“The Aurora programme team extended the empathy-in-action focus to encompass the healing powers of nature. We wanted this ‘kindness’ sort of day to strengthen emotional wellbeing and to create an opportunity for kids to blow out the cobwebs with their mates.

“In a head count, over 60 percent of the children actually fitted into the cyclone disaster category. Some of their stories were devastating, so this programme was about metaphorically putting an arm around their shoulders.”

“Six Te Karaka students were especially warmly welcomed.

“One student from Waerenga-o-Kuri said their farm was now one big paddock.

“Others told of the impact on their families of bridges washed away and how getting to school was such a mission they could only attend a couple of days a week.

“This Eastwoodhill visit was therefore premised on offering a fun learning day to give the kids’ minds a break from the stress, silt, and slash that they contend with now on a daily basis.

“It was the perfect day to lift everyone’s spirits and show how our Aurora kids look after each other.”

The programme included a short “mindfulness” induction session and a garden walk with the Eastwoodhill horticulturist to view the potting and propagation sheds in the arboretum.

Students played Eastwoodhill’s Seek and Go orienteering game in teams and also enjoyed the adventure playground and an Aurora Easter Egg Hunt.