Whau Valley School

Three classes from Whau Valley school participated in EMR in term 1 2009. The lead teacher was Jim Baker. EMR director started with presenting a classroom marine biodiversity lesson, followed by a afternoon snorkel session in the school pool. We then snorkelled at the newly established Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve, followed by a school camp at Pakiri, snorkelling at the long established Goat Island marine reserve.

Action projects included various informative posters and assembly presentations focused on marine issues and building awareness of the Whangarei Harbour marine reserve.

Press Release

Whau Valley School students speak at Whangarei District Council (WDC) submission hearing for the Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP).

Whau Valley students recently participated in the Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) programme which involved a snorkel at the Reotahi Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve (WHMR) site and the Cape Rodney to Okakari Point (Goat Island) marine reserve. Experiences at these reserves lead the students into action projects, many of which focused on the urgent need for toilets at Reotahi! Whau valley students wrote letters to council and two students presented their project to council as part of the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust submission for LTCCP.

Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust are the umbrella charitable organisation for environmental education programmes such as EMR supported by the Department of Conservation and the WDC council supported Drains to Harbour (DTH) stormwater awareness programme.

The Whau Valley students Annalea Jenkins & Charlie May Clarke drew attention to all the beaches around the harbour that have toilets and highlighted the problem of no toilets at Reotahi. Annalea said “this is a problem as students have to be ferried all the way to McLeod’s Bay for the toilet, when this time could be better spent enjoying the sea life” .

Even though the council plan for toilets in 2012 or 2013, Whau Valley students feel it should happen sooner, as the bushes are used for emergencies and this is not good for the environment and is non hygienic and can cause other hazards, as one student came across a wasp nest.

The need for toilets is so urgent, as EMR takes over 1000 students, caregivers and teachers snorkelling at the WHMR each year for marine education experiences. EMR holds 5 community guided snorkelling days (port loos are sponsored on these days by Hire pool) at WHMR each year involving over 600 members of the community and visitors from outside the district. It was suggested that the toilets at Waikaraka are moved to Reotahi.

MTSCT Trustee and programme coordinator Kim Boyle also presented the need to make clean stormwater a priority for the Whangarei District and suggested that more funding should be allocated to this cause and take a preventative/proactive approach rather than reactive. E.g. Encouraging permeable surfaces, water conservation and education/awareness of the causes rather than trying to fix up the problems after they happen.

Annalea Jenkins & Charlie May Clarke pictured above at Council and on their recent EMR trip to the Poor Knights

Project work below: