Two Forgotten World Highway enviroschools, Toko and Huiakama, are the recipients of Enviroschools Action Project grants, sponsored by Wood Group PSN, to help them get ahead with their sustainability projects.
Toko School's chicken project came about after Room 4 teacher Sasha Hancock presented her class with an incubator but didn't tell them what it was. When the students worked it out, they decided they would like to try and hatch some eggs.
The resulting learning opportunities were huge as students were able to research all aspect of chickens. After the chicks hatched, the class weighed and graphed their progress. The class then put together an application requesting funds to build a permanent home for the adult chickens within the school.
Huiakama School is making an ambitious start to its Enviroschools programme.
One of the stand-out themes is "repurposing", conserving resources and reducing waste by finding new uses for old materials to make their school more sustainable. They plan to make a chicken coop incorporating an old dog kennel, which will house retired battery hens; they have vegetable gardens made from old bath tubs; and are constructing a greenhouse made of plastic soft drink bottles.
