Bird feeders

Our Enviro Group have decided to build bird feeders after visiting the Birdlife Park last term. We are designing these this week and building them with the help of our technology teacher Mr Dubnic next week.

Have a look at the websites on this blog to help with ideas of what to build.

Maori Potato Planting

The enthusiastic Enviro Group have planted Maori Potatoes behind the Year 7 block. This is our third year of planting Maori potatoes at Queenstown Primary. It is part of the Tuhuri Whenua Project to increase the supply of Maori potatoes within New Zealand.

We were given 60 potatoes by the Tuhuri Whenua Project 2 years ago and from that crop we have collected the seed each year to plant the following year. Some of our school families have taken some of these plants for their own gardens and we hope to be able to offer more seed to families next year after this crop.

Trip to the Birdlife Park

Kowhai and native fuscia plants

Kereru or Wood Pigeon

On Wednesday of Week 10 the Enviro Group visited the Birdlife Park during their lunchtime. We spoke to Marion about plants that will attract more birds to our school.

We learned that Kowhai, native Fuscia and Flax trees are good for providing nectar for the Tui's and Bellbird's. The bees and butterflies like the nectar too.

We could have bird feeders with sugar and water in them to encourage more birds.

Our predators are Mo (who might try to catch the birds while they feed) and rats and possums. Falcon's and hawk's are predators too and we were able to look at in a falcon in the Birdlife Park. They can eat small birds.

Thanks to Marion we are better informed and can plan an area in our school to attract birds. We have been invited to revisit the Birdlife Park and use their super knowledge again to help us with our planting.

Simon talked to our three classes about landfills, recycling, reuse, reduce, composts and worm farms. We brought rubbish from home and discussed which objects were reusable at home or school, which objects were recyclable (please clean them out carefully) and which were waste that ended up in the landfill.


We all thought the diagram of the energy it takes to make a glass bottle was very informative. We decided that recycling the bottles used less energy, saving money, oil, gas, the planet and our environment.

The next day a group from each of our three classes worked with Simon to come up with the perfect place to house our worm farm.

That's it! right where James is hiding, under the cabbage tree between the swimming pool and Room 22.

We now have a worm farm and we will keep you up to date with our ...VERMICOMPOSTING The art of converting kitchen scraps and other household wastes into organic food for our plants and gardens with the assistance of earth worms.

Enviro Trip

Click the volume picture at the top of the slideshow to turn the music off.

Glad Wrap Competition

During Term 3 we will be holding a 'Zero Gladwrap' Competition. All classes have been provided with a bag to collect in their gladwrap each lunchtime and these need to be delievered to Room 30 by morning tea every Friday. The class or classes with the least gladwrap will go into a draw to win a lunchtime treat.
This was trialled during week 11 of term 2, and here are the first winners, Room 1.
Well done to the following rooms for getting their bags into the competition - Rooms 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31 - It's great to see classes from across the school taking part!
WELL DONE ROOM 1! KEEP IT UP NEXT TERM.

More Wanaka Enviro Hui Photos

Here are some more photos from our day in Wanaka.