Don't pollute the sea, keep it clean for you and me

Date:  18 March 2013

A winning statement from 8 year old Imogen Wood of Tolaga Bay Area School, in line with this year's Seaweek theme "Healthy Seas – Healthy People", one of 245 entries in the annual East Coast and Eastern Bay of Plenty Seaweek kids Pictures and Stories Competition.

Creative use of materials, poetic language, vibrant computer graphics and awesome artwork described how kids connect to the sea and how we all need to look after it says Department of Conservation (DOC) Community Relations Ranger Trudi Ngawhare.

Entries were received from children all around the East Coast; from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Kawakawa mai Tawhiti in Hicks Bay to Makaraka School in Gisborne and around the Eastern Bay of Plenty from Opape to Thornton.

The winning entries were judged in age categories:

Gisborne East Coast

• 3-5 years $20 voucher – Clay Hemmington 3 years
• 6-8 years $40 voucher – Imogen Wood 8 years and Te Kurapounamu Wilson-Karini 6 years both from Tolaga Bay Area School
• 9-12 years $40 voucher – Jodi McGrath 9 years from Gisborne Central School

Eastern Bay of Plenty

• 3-5 years $20 voucher - Korbyn Curren 5 years from Thornton School
• 6-8 years $40 voucher - Jazmin McMillan 6 years from Thornton School
• 9-12 years $40 voucher - Leah Moore 12 years from Woodlands School

"With the effort from all entries, it's heartening to see, that the future health of our seas are in good hands with our children leading the way to become awesome kaitiaki (guardians) of Tangaroa" says Ms Ngawhare.

All entries are on display at the Gisborne DOC office at 63 Carnarvon Street through until June or the Opotiki DOC Office, 70 Bridge Street through until May. If anyone wishes to pick up their entries they can be collected from the relevant DOC office.

Some of the winning entries:

Don't pollute the sea keep it clean for you and me. Keep your rubbish out so we can swim about. If the fish all die we won't have any kai. I know what is the key. Don't pollute the sea
– Imogen Wood 8 years, Winner 6-8 years category, Gisborne East Coast

Swishing seaweed, diving dolphins, crawling crabs, swimming fish.They all have a role to play. So please don't pollute.
– Sophie Hemmington 8 years, Highly Commended, Gisborne East Coast

People kill sharks every single day just to cut their fins off and make it into a bowl of soup, why not have pumpkin soup?
– Jacob Goodyer 12 years, Highly Commended, Gisborne East Coast

The beach is a great place to have fun. But it's also home to fish, birds, bugs and other amazing wildlife. So try and keep them safe. Don't litter and have fun.
– Jodi McGrath 9 years, Winner 9-12 years category, Gisborne East Coast

We went to the seashore where the fish swim peacefully beneath the clear blue water and eat the numerous fare springs. We went to the seashore to swim amid the indulgent lapping waves, and be submerged by the frothy foam. We went to the seashore to lay with the rough golden sands, and shaped towering castle with its many limbs. We went to the seashore and climbed the soaring bold dunes, only to fall all the way down again.
- Jade Whitelaw 11 years, Woodlands School Opotiki, Eastern Bay of Plenty

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