West Coast School Awards
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For more information on the competition contact Jose Watson at:
The challenge
The Department of Conservation is offering all schools on the West Coast an opportunity to make a contribution to conservation. The challenge is for schools to develop a project with conservation in mind.
Projects
Any conservation project can be entered whether it is over the long term or a one-off. Conservation projects could combine aspects of most parts of the curriculum including science, the arts, language, mathematics, social studies, technology and health and physical education. For example you could:
- adopt a stream or threatened species
- use maths to help you work out materials that you might need for your project
- do surveys
- carry out revegetation
- get a conservation message across through posters
- make books for younger children
- research a conservation issue and write about it for the newspapers
- learn about how other people look after species in other countries.
See your local Department of Conservation staff who will be happy to provide advice and assistance where possible.
What you need to do
Keep a record of your project and present a final entry. The entry could contain writing, plans, maps, tables, art work, a photographic diary etc. However, your final entry must show:
- why you chose your project
- what you hope to achieve by your project
- the steps you have taken to carry out your project and
- the results of your project so far.
Submit your entry to your nearest West Coast Department of Conservation Office by 30 September, or on the closest working day before 30 September
Projects will be assessed by the Department of Conservation who may visit your project before making decisions. All entries will be considered on merit and every project will be recognised on a DOC web-page designed for the challenge.
A trophy and prize will be awarded to the project that the Department thinks has made the best overall contribution to conservation.
West Coast School Award's
trophy
The trophy
The trophy was donated by Hokitika couple, Michael and Janet Orchard in memory of their parents who always encouraged learning and discovery.
The design work is by Hokitika artist Sue Asplin. It is shaped to reflect the mountainous backbone of the South Island and is made of tinted green acrylic to represent the myriad shades of green in the West Coast environment.
The three figures stand on wavy lines representing both the coastline and the symbolic movement, of life and learning. The figures stretch towards the sun signifying a reaching towards excellence in achievement and a striving for knowledge. The sun's core is a koru shape, symbolising the unfolding of knowledge and growth. The leaf and bird represent the flora and fauna of the West Coast that needs to be protected for generations of children to come.
If you look closely you will see a heart shape in between the bottom two figures. This signifies love and nurture of our environment.
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