A pest eradication initiative, a river protection project, a leadership development programme and a digital education course are the recipients of the first grants from the $100m Next Foundation, a environmental education fund set up last year by philanthropists Neal and Annette Plowman.
Zero Invasive Predators, or ZIP, which aims to regenerate our native birdlife by transforming the way invasive predators are managed on mainland New Zealand; and Te Awaroa, which will work with local communities to improve the quality of New Zealand's rivers, were the environmental programme recipients. The Springboard Trust, which promotes leadership development for school principals, and The Mind Lab by Unitec's programme in digital literacy skills and collaborative learning for teachers.
All four selected projects were chosen for their "multiplier effect" with the potential to have greater impact nationally.
"By influencing teachers we help the children that they teach; by influencing principals we influence the schools they manage; by working with local communities we can make a difference to the health of our rivers; and by sharing predator best practices we can help many conservation initiatives," says chairman Chris Liddell.
Here's the announcement from Liddell:
