A question about monarch butterflies got things started for Jacqui Knight.
Jacqui Knight - Environment
Occasionally, Jacqui Knight stands at the front of a classroom and dons a hat which appears to have three butterflies hovering above it.
When the children yell out "there are butterflies above your head!" she gasps, looks up and asks "where?".
They erupt with giggles.
Even funnier is when Ms Knight reveals to the class their teacher, transformed into a giant monarch butterfly.
"The kids get a hoot out of that," she said. But the real fun comes when Ms Knight, or "Madame Butterfly", teaches the children about the life of a monarch.
"Butterflies are amazing for children's curiosity," she said, adding, they can be a source of "healing and stimulation".
For nearly 40 years, Ms Knight has given her time to monarch butterflies - including educating children and setting up the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust.
Ms Knight's dedication to monarch butterflies has earned her a Pride of New Zealand nomination, in the Environment category.
"No one in all of New Zealand does more for monarch butterflies than Jacqui Knight," her nominator said.
Ms Knight has loved butterflies since she was a child.
When her own son started showing interest, they couldn't figure out the answer to one burning question - where do butterflies go over winter?
The pair sent a letter to the Herald editor (some 30 or more years ago), posing the question.
The nationwide response was overwhelming, she said.
Letters arrived from Timaru, Oamaru and Onehunga, informing them that there were huge clusters of monarchs "overwintering" in their respective communities.
When her son's interest shifted to jet planes, Ms Knight continued responding to letters and conducting her own research.
The trust was born when a Bay of Islands monarch butterfly habitat was to be destroyed through development.
Her friends rallied with her and 10 years on, the trust is a port of call for all who are interested in moths and butterflies.
Ms Knight works in an entirely voluntary capacity with the trust.
"It is hard doing it on voluntary basis. There's not enough time to do everything," she said.
"We're hoping to find a corporate sponsor."
Her next major fundraising effort, in just a few weeks time, will showcase a 3D film at Sylvia Park called Flight of the Butterflies.
Her nominator said Ms Knight's generosity "knows no bounds", and she never seeks personal thanks.
Ms Knight regularly receives phone calls from strangers asking for advice on what to do with a sick caterpillar, or a butterfly on a windy, wet day.
"I talk them through what they can do ... and I smile because I'm sitting here at the top of New Zealand, looking at the countryside and it's wonderful."
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Nominations for the 2015 awards have now closed.
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For more information on the awards go to the official website.
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