School Community Projects

Case Study: Ahipara School’s River Project

Ahipara School’s problem-solving team have been working on the polluted Wairoa River that runs behind Ahipara School and out to 90 Mile Beach since March 2004. They competed in the NZ problem-solving competition and won first place so are off to the USA at the end of May to compete in the world champs.

When health hazard warning signs went up by their river and children kept right on swimming in it, they decided to take action. They called in experts from the community to talk to them so they could learn what needed to be done. They learned about microinvertebrates and basic water testing with Whitebait Connection from Whangarei and Deputy Principal Andrea Panther went on a water quality course with Northland Regional Council. They consulted with the Northland Regional Council representative in their area as well as the Herekino Landcare Group. They then called a public meeting to seek community support and from this sprang an Ahipara Landcare Group that met monthly for the first year then bi-monthly thereafter.

They have:

created their own business card, brochure, web page to educate and inform people
been on Maori TV and local radio station talkback to discuss the issues
presented their project to the government consultation hui that was held in Kaitaia in February
done heaps of research and brought their community together to fence and plant the first part of the river
developed a 5-10 year plan to fence and plant the entire 7 km of river which will help stop erosion, act as a natural filter before the water enters the river and keep stock away to prevent them from excreting E-coli into the river.

This little team has brought their community together to work towards a common goal of looking after the future sustainability of their river. They have a website linked from their school site to keep people informed of the latest water test results and river project developments.

Report from: Andrea Panther, Deputy Principal, Ahipara School