Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Award winners announced

Ratapiko School is a winner in this year's Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards. Photo/ Supplied

The winners of the 2021 Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Awards have been announced.

Schools and their students, conservation volunteers, grassroots community groups, farmers from across the region, and corporates are among this year's winners.

The council has presented 313 environmental awards since the programme began in 1993.

The awards have five categories: environmental leadership in business; environmental leadership in dairy farming, sponsored by Fonterra; environmental leadership in land management, sponsored by Corteva; environmental action in the community; and environmental action in education, sponsored by Contact Energy.

Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust has won an award in the education category. It receives the award for empowering young people to take action to protect and restore the environment.

The trust has wildlife warriors and environmental advocates through its Youth Ambassador Programme. Almost 50 young people have been through the programme in its first five years, taking a hands-on approach as they learn about predator control, monitoring native birdlife, creating habitats for invertebrates and monitoring and improving the health of wetlands.

Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust won an award in the environmental action in education category. Photo/ Supplied

Ratapiko School has also won an award in the education category, for empowering students to take action to build a sustainable community.

School staff and pupils have planted 800 trees on-site and on local farms, and regularly remove lots of rubbish from around the Ratapiko School and Lake area.

They built a greenhouse out of upcycled plastic bottles for seed growing, and built a pizza oven.

Pupils trapped possums and rats and have established an orchard and garden to provide food for the community. They're also active with East Taranaki Environment Collective and The Maunga Project.

The winners will be presented with their awards at a series of presentations throughout the week.

Winners:
Environmental leadership in business: Taranaki District Health Board, Mitre 10 and Mitre 10 Mega, New Plymouth.
Environmental leadership in dairy farming: PW and J Campbell Trusts Partnership, Woodleigh Ltd, Bruce and Christine Maechler.
Environmental leadership in land management: Neil Phillips, Holmleigh Trust Partnership – Peter and Nicola Carver.
Environmental action in the community (Individual): Valda Poletti and David Clarkson, Keith Holswich.
Environmental action in the community (Group): Te Korowai o Ngāruahine Trust, Wildlife.ai Trust.
Environmental action in education: Ratapiko School, Waitara East School, New Horizons Aotearoa, Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust, Coastal Taranaki School.