Kāpiti Enviroschools were out in force at the 2011 Sustainable Home and Garden Show Kāpiti Primary School field during the weekend of 26 and 27 March.
Every year the Sustainable Home and Garden Show attracts thousands of visitors to the village of tents with stalls, or providing information or show cased community projects. It also involved a workshop programme for people to learn about sustainability issues, ongoing entertainment and competitions.
Raumati South Primary School were clear winners of the judges award and people’s choice awards in the Resourceful Living and Landscape Design competition. Their garden, based on the keyhole concept had a constant flow of visitors. Their keyhole garden concept involved placing a compost pile in the centre of the garden, enabling the nutrients to leach into the surrounding soil with the rain while the items in the compost pile gradually biodegrade.
The enviroschools tent hosted a range of activities from all the Kapiti Enviroschools at various stages throughout the weekend.
Raumati South Kindergarten – sold bird feeders, homemade dog biscuits and ‘worm wees’, bamboo habitats for ladybirds and weta houses.
Little Earth Montessori Preschool – demonstrated paper and card making (including pressed flowers) sold bird biscuits and seeds;
Kapanui School –pricked out and potted on seedlings, sold worm juice and seedlings and displayed the outdoor pallet chairs made in technology class
Paraparaumu Playcentre –made lavender sachets, and sold potting seeds and worm juice. They also displayed their eco-building plans!
Ōtaki School – made cards and Christmas decorations from packaging, and led a Web-Of-Life activity
Ngahina Kindergarten were present for the whole weekend in two of their own gazebos, selling high-quality second-hand and recycled clothing for children and adults.
At another stall, Hannah Zwartz, KCDC’s new Green Gardener, displayed a glasshouse made out of plastic bottles!
(With thanks to Paekakariki School children for their help). She also presented different styles of worm farms, explained her bio-digester for bad weeds, and held workshops on herbs.
It was a wild and wet weekend but that in no way detracted from a warm sustainability buzz from everyone present.
Fantatsic work and networking Kapiti Envrioschools!
