KEY POINTS:
Aspiring greenies from around the country got into the spirit of World Environment Day yesterday.
The United Nations initiative is commemorated annually on June 5 and was hosted by New Zealand for the first time since its inception in 1972.
The theme for this year was "Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy", focusing on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them.
More than 120 community events marked the occasion.
In Auckland, Pt Chevalier Primary School pupils planted trees at Meola Reef Reserve as part of a mass planting, and pupils from Northcote Primary School dressed in green and carried balloons in their walking school bus. An Auckland zookeeper painted portraits of animals from the zoo including a cheetah, a lion, an orangutan, a frog and a rhino to highlight the importance of animal conservation.
In the Waikato, pupils from Te Aroha Primary School planted trees with the help of a $1000 Government grant.
Horizons Regional Council brought together pupils from around the Wanganui-Manawatu region to debate the social and economic effects of a carbon-neutral world in an inter-school competition.
In Wellington, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced the winners of the International Children's Painting Competition. They came from Asia and the Pacific, Africa, North America and Latin America to collect their prizes. The winning entries are part of an exhibition of 64 paintings that runs until the end of August at Te Papa.
The museum is also hosting the Natural World Museum's Towards a Balanced Earth: Kick the Carbon Habit exhibition featuring works from 27 artists around the globe.
