One of Mazda NZ’s TREEmendous winning schools has two special visitors to help with their education project; the bug man and the shark man.

Riverina School in Pakuranga was one of five educational institutes that won the TREEmendous Education Programme for 2021. 

TREEmendous is an initiative from the Mazda Foundation and it sees each school receive $1000 to go towards an environmental project along with 200 native trees from Trees That Count.

The four other winning schools were Whanganui Intermediate, Wainui Beach School in Gisborne, Karetu School in Northland, Waitara East in Taranaki.

Each of the five schools will receive a visit from Mazda ambassadors Ruud ‘the Bugman’ Kleinpaste and Shark Scientist, Dr Riley Elliott, who will talk to the whole school on sustainability and the importance of looking after our environment. 

Additionally, Kleinpaste will also help the school develop their chosen environmental project further and help teachers identify ways to incorporate the environment as an immersive part of the curriculum.

Last week, Kleinpaste and Dr Riley spoke to Riverina School students and teachers about the importance of sustainability and how they can help to look after the environment.

Kleinpaste and Elliott inspired students and demonstrated how we can learn from nature and the important role that bugs and sharks play in our ecosystem and how they all impact our environment. 

Kleinpaste then spent a second day at the school providing teachers with resources and how to identify ways to incorporate the environment as an immersive part of the curriculum so that students can learn in nature in outside classrooms.

As part of the TREEmendous Education Programme, Riverina School is further developing their outdoor learning space for students to learn in nature.

The school is transforming an area of the school grounds into a vibrant learning space where fruit and vegetables will be grown, and native trees planted which can be used as an outdoor classroom. 

Principal Carol Dickinson says the native trees will ensure the project has a strong connection to the natural environment. 

“The school provides students with knowledge and tools to help develop their understanding of the natural ecosystem and this new area will enhance this further,” she said.

“We really encourage our students to connect with the wider community and help them to understand the role every individual plays in building an eco-friendly lifestyle.” 

David Hodge, Managing Director of Mazda New Zealand and Chairman of the Mazda Foundation, is delighted that the TREEmendous Education Programme is continuing the fantastic work the initial Treemendous project undertook in schools around New Zealand for over 10 years.

“We look forward to seeing the results of the work the schools will be doing with Ruud and Riley,” he said.

The TREEmendous team, including Kleinpaste and Elliott, will also visit the four remaining schools throughout 2021 to engage with the students and inspire them in their environmental projects.