A Sacred Heart College project to eliminate pests and increase biodiversity has won gold at the Hawke’s Bay Secondary Schools Environmental Challenge. 

The competition was run by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, with 12 schools taking part. 

Sacred Heart College’s environment group is called Enviro Nation. 

Co-leaders and Year 11 students Tamar Aiken, and Lauren Harkness presented their ‘Pest-Free SHC’ initiative on behalf of the group to HBRC staff, guest judges, and representatives from other schools. 

“It’s really good because we worked really hard on our initiative, so it feels like reassurance that we are actually doing something good for the environment,” Lauren says. 

After hearing reports of rats around the school, and a desire to increase the bird life in the area, Tamar says they decided rat trapping would be the best option.   

They used chew cards, which helped determine the locations that had the highest presence of rats, and then set up two certified humane Goodnature Traps.  

While they are yet to do another New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, Lauren says they do feel like more birds have returned to the area. 

Tamar and Lauren say their generation has a strong obligation to help the environment, not only for their benefit but that of future generations. 

Alongside rat trapping, Enviro Nation have also participated in community planting days, and do the school’s plastic recycling. 

Theresa Cowen, Head of Department – Science, says she is really proud of the group’s achievements. 

“The group and I are hugely excited and delighted. The challenge was a great way for the group to refine what we want to achieve at our school and think about how to go about it. It was actually quite a big process, with lots of documentation required along the way.”

Students were able to contribute in many different ways, from writing a plan, approaching Senior Management with a proposal, speaking at assembly, creating logos, documents, and presentations, to actually setting up and checking the rat traps. 

Mrs Cowen says it was a truly collaborative process and great to see everyone step up. 

Enviro Nation began six years ago, as a result of a conversation between Mrs Cowen and Lauren’s older sister, Ella, who during her time at Sacred Heart College, became the first leader of the group. They now currently have 12 core members, with new students welcome to join at any time. 

“We have carried out a whole range of initiatives over the years, but the competition really required the group to focus, plan, document and reflect on their actions,” Mrs Cowen says. 

“The $1000 prize money towards an environmental initiative is really exciting and creates additional opportunities for the group and school to further enhance our environment in a sustainable way.”

Going forward, they want to focus on controlling weeds and planting native plants in a designated area within the school.

A kākā beak plant given by HBRC to schools who presented in the competition will be the start of this.

Article added: Monday 31 October 2022