4-19 May 2013

Fair Trade Fortnight is a nationwide celebration of the difference that choosing fair makes for millions of farmers in developing countries.

This year the theme is “Fairtrade Karma; Buy Fairtrade and Good Things Will Happen”. The more Fairtrade Certified products we buy in New Zealand, the greater the improvement to the standard of living for farmers and workers, and their families and communities in developing countries. 

Grab a Fairtrade coffee/tea on your way to work & you could get that pay rise you've been waiting for.

Get FairtradeKarma by choosing Fairtrade chocolate, drinks, bananas, & T-shirts as well. Buying Fairtrade means good things also happen for millions of farmers, through fair prices & Fairtrade Premium invested in community projects, & also for the environment through more sustainable farming.

So if you want good things to happen, look for the Mark & buy Fairtrade.

Opens 27 May.... closing date 16 August

The team at Mother Earth are delighted to announce that the Mother Earth Reward will open for entries on 27 May!  The closing date is 16 August.

As per previous years, 3 enviroschools will receive a $2500 Reward for a project they have done/ are doing that makes an outstanding contribution to food and healthy eating in the community.

Due to the success last year, they will also run the ‘Peoples Choice’ vote again. Voting is open to everyone and the 10 finalists will be up on the Mother Earth Reward website.

This year they have another exciting new category.  ‘Most Promising Entry’. This is a special reward of $1500 for a school with a project that demonstrates a lot of promise even if it’s not off the ground yet. There will also be some additional resources as well as the cash as part of this prize – more details to be revealed soon!

Schools can join the database now so they’re kept in the loop with Mother Earth Reward communications. 

For more information see www.motherearthreward.co.nz and to sign up click on the Register button.

2013 Challenge and Workshop series info out now!

The 7th The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge is underway for 2013. The deadline for this years' challenge is the 13th of September.

The basics are the same as ever: make a sustainability-related film, any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to five minutes. The challenge is open to anyone up to the age of 24, individual or in a team.

Film-making workshops

The Outlook for Someday presents its third annual series of free one-day sustainability film-making workshops, with the largest number of workshops ever scheduled to give more young people across New Zealand the chance to participate. Open to students from school years 7 to 13 as well as teachers and youth workers, the workshops offer an opportunity for young people and adults to upskill together.

33 workshops are being held between May and August, including a pilot series of two Māori-focused workshops specifically for tamariki and rangatahi Māori, one in Auckland and the other in Wellington.

Each workshop runs from 9am to 4.30pm.

Spaces are limited to 25 participants per workshop.

Think. Eat. Save.

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972, to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It is held in a different country each year on June 5. New Zealand hosted World Environment Day in 2008. 

This year's theme is Think. Eat. Save. It is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint. It rallies you to take action from your home and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money and minimise the environmental impact of food production.

Visit www.unep.org/wed/theme/ for great information, resources and videos about Think. Eat. Save.

12-14 July 2013

Youth Congress is a three-day event being held for young people in Auckland 12 – 14 July, 2013. The Congress will include sessions on children’s rights, poverty, the Pacific region, health and nutrition, with a combination of speakers and skills-based training on communications, advocacy and campaigning. Applications are open for 15 – 20 year olds who are interested in these issues and who are looking for an opportunity to get involved/taking action. There is a small fee of $25 to attend (to be paid once selection confirmed) and all participants must also cover their travel to Auckland. All other expenses will be covered during the Congress, including food and accommodation.

 For more information and application forms, please visit www.unicef.org.nz/youthcongress.

Part of the 2013 Unpackit Awards

Recycling centre Wanaka Wastebusters is running a $5,200 competition for schools and community groups as part of the 2013 Unpackit Awards. Wastebusters set up the Unpackit Awards in 2010, with financial support from the Waste Minimisation Fund, to find the country’s best and worst packaging from an environmental point of view. The Cash4Schools and Cash4Community competitions were added last year to encourage conversations about packaging on a community level. The winning school is the one who receives the most support from Unpackit voters.

Unpackit organiser Sophie Ward said there is a natural cross-over between the Unpackit Awards and schools. “I would say at least one-third of our Worst Packaging finalists in the last two years were items designed for packed lunches, resulting in more litter and rubbish at schools.” Many schools are introducing packaging-free lunches, but that means having to get parents on board. The Unpackit Awards are a fun way to get your community talking about how much packaging we really need, and how much ends up as rubbish.

Unpackit Cash4Schools

Prizes: $1,500 for 1^st, $750 for 2^nd, and $350 for 3^rd (same prizes for community groups)

How:  The winner is the school which get the most support from Unpackit voters. Each voter can support one registered school or community group.

When:  Voting for the Unpackit Awards and the Cash4Schools competition open 19^th July and close 8^thNov.

Registration:  Schools can register anytime, email Sophie on email@unpackit.org.nz or go to www.unpackit.org

Resources: The Unpackit team can provide support, information and resources for Enviroschools facilitators and teachers on packaging choices, packaging-free lunches and the Unpackit Awards.

 The Environmental Committee from Wellington East Girls College who won the schools' competition last year, showing their examples of good packaging.