More than 120 members of the Hamilton community attended a working bee last Saturday, at Horsham Downs Primary School to help transform its outdoor area with a Treemendous School Makeover.
The Treemendous School Makeover programme is a joint initiative, between the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson, a conservation charity, and sees four schools selected each year, to receive a $10,000 area makeover using native plants.
Students, teachers, staff from Fairview Motors Hamilton, Mazda New Zealand, Mazda Foundation, and the Project Crimson team, including special guest 'The Bugman' Ruud Kleinpaste, transformed the school's grounds into an interactive learning space for students.
Everyone got stuck in and planted more than 1000 native trees and shrubs, expanding on the school's existing bush area. The space now boasts its own microclimate and will attract more native wildlife to the school grounds such as tui and kereru.
The school also held a competition, to see which students could design and build the best weta hotel, bug motel, bat house, and bird feeder. Judging took place on the day and the winners' projects now take pride of place in the garden. Students will use them to study the life cycles and habitats of indigenous animals and insects.
"We're so grateful to everyone who turned up and helped out on the day," says Julie Herbert, Enviro team coordinator and teacher at Horsham Downs Primary School.
"Our outdoor area has been a significant work in progress for many years and the Treemendous makeover has been the most exciting project to date. The new learning space has created a strong sense of pride amongst the school community. We can't wait to use the outdoor classroom, so students can observe, think, draw, and immerse themselves in nature."
Ruud Kleinpaste brought along his weta friends and showed them to the students, educating them about New Zealand native insects.
National MP for Hamilton West Tim Macindoe took along his spade and pitched in, showing his support for the community. "It's great to see an increasing number of schools encouraging outdoor learning," said Mr Macindoe. "The number of local people that backed this project is truly heart-warming."
Horsham Downs Primary School is the first school to receive a Treemendous School Makeover this year. Next is Havelock North Intermediate in June, Waikouaiti School in July, and Renwick School in August.
Applications for the 2016 Treemendous Makeovers are now open at www.mazdafoundation.org.nz/treemendous.
The school would like to thank Schick Construction.
The company contributed to the makeover by delivering mulch and topsoil, and lending the school its diggers to break up the ground, preparing it for planting.