This kohanga reo, founded in 1982, is one of the oldest in the country. Formerly based in Green Bay, the preschool moved to the site of a former bowling green in Glen Eden in 2009. The grounds were bare when they arrived. Staff and whanau laid a serpentine footpath and sandpit for the children a few years ago. The centre is nicely positioned and elevated, surrounded by a park with views of the Waitakere Ranges.
Now, with a wave of Radio Live's wand and some hard graft, they have a food forest filled with a range of pip and stone fruit trees, citrus, tamarillo, plus guava and blueberry bushes, perfect for little fingers to pick. Tukutuku panels from the old Green Bay Kohanga Reo bring continuity to the new location, taking pride of place on a brush fence surrounding the fruit forest.
The grassed play area features low-maintenance native grasses, colourful flaxes and trees, including a totara and three puriri to attract native birds such as kereru. Large grade trees were manhandled into position for instant effect. Three large magnolias provide instant structure and will produce glorious scent when they flower.
Raised planter boxes were built at perfect preschooler height so the kids can help tend and pick from the gardens. The teachers pointed out that the children enjoy picking green leaves to nibble straight out of this garden, even if they pull faces at salad greens in their lunches. Kohanga reo teacher Rebecca Leaf said their aim for the vege garden is to use only heirloom seed collected from whanau. This provides a lovely connection for the children with their food heritage, linking them with their kaumatua. Rebecca's uncle is supplying taewa maori (potatoes) and rock melon seed is coming from an aunty. They were given kamokamo seed by Rebecca's tupuna wahine (grandmother), Reverend Judy Cooper, a founding member of the kohanga who was awarded a Queen's Service Medal this year for services to Maori arts and the community.
With Rebecca's young son there are now four generations of the Cooper whanau actively involved in the kohanga reo. Chairperson Terry Davis is justifiably proud of it.
The kohanga reo differs from other playcentres and kindergartens as it has a lesson plan, with a chosen subject each term and the learning environment is governed by whanau. The children are learning about whanaungatanga, gaining a sense of connection about where they come from, shared experiences and a sense of belonging. Next term the children will learn about the environment through Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) and Ranginui (Sky Father), to tie in with Matariki.
This is Terry's last year as chairperson. His youngest, Paewaka, will soon be heading to Te Kura Kaupapa but I'm sure Terry will come back to visit, to check on the progress of this magnificent garden and to pick apples in the fruit forest with his mokopuna.
I wondered if the new gardens will inspire lessons.
Rebecca says this year's lesson plan was already sorted before the garden came into being, but the garden will be a great resource for the staff and their charges in years to come. She says the children are already inventive, drawing pictures with pieces of bark on the concrete path and testing their agility walking across rocks in the new landscape.
A pile of rocky rubble near the food forest will be a good home for native skinks and other wildlife. Fruit trees and flowering natives will draw birds and insects into the garden and provide ample opportunities for observation and identification exercises for the tamariki.
A worm bin is near the raised vege gardens, and children will soon be able to make the connection between composting food waste and growing healthy food, not to mention squirmy worms to hold.
• Check out footage of the two-day makeover at radiolive.co.nz
