From left: Ann Rainford, Room 6 teacher Megan Jacobson, South Wairarapa Mayor Viv Napier, chair Leigh Hay, Christine Stevenson, Mike Gray and councillor Margaret Craig. Greytown School’s Room 6 pupils (from back left) Isabella James, Reuben Heard, Bella Field, Bonnie Griffiths and Hannah Druzianic. Front row, Heath Dunnett, Caleb Cameron-Ballinger, Amelia Didsbury and Logan Jacquiery. PHOTO/HAYLEY GASTMEIER
HAYLEY GASTMEIER
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Greytown School pupils wowed the community board at its meeting last week with an eco-friendly presentation.
Pupils from Room 6 have come up with some suggestions on how to improve Kowhai Reserve, which is a quarter acre section on East St.
The children, aged 7 and 8, hand wrote letters to South Wairarapa District Council with suggestions on how to beautify and improve the park.
On Wednesday, nine pupils presented these ideas to the Greytown Community Board (GCB).
“There are no bins which means people are leaving their rubbish lying around.
“This is not good for our environment or our wildlife,” a pupil said.
They recommended that rubbish bins be installed, as well as bird feeders to attract wildlife.
New plantings, having a paved path, and the establishment of a veggie patch were also suggested.
Room 6 teacher Megan Jacobson said the pupils had put a lot of work into their presentation.
Her class had been doing a unit on the environment, which prompted them to look at their local green spaces.
In the letters to SWDC, suggestions were also made for a tree house, a barbecue, park benches, a pond, flowers, and a stream with toy boats.
A report to GCB recommended it work with the children to develop and cost their suggestions for implementation.
South Wairarapa Mayor Viv Napier said the school children had done some thorough research.
Board chairwoman Leigh Hay was impressed by Room 6’s “amazing intuitive” and suggested GCB commemorate the class with a plaque for the reserve once the improvements were made.
The board was in support of putting in rubbish bins, bird feeders and a path.
Ann Rainford suggested GCB approach the Greytown Menz Shed to build a seat for the park.
