Fri, 18 Jan 2019 21:19:43 +1300WeeblyTue, 04 Dec 2018 07:34:44 GMThttp://www.northloburn.school.nz/enviro-blog/tracking-tunnelsThe Enviro Leaders made tracking tunnels to see what predators and other animals we have around the school. We also made chew cards to identify the pest bite marks. We spent some time discussing what a predator is, what they do that may be harmful to our environment, how we find out if there are any at NLS, and what we could do about it. There was lots of spirited discussion!

Making the tracking tunnels:​We made tracking tunnels out of old real estate signs (thank you Harcourts!). We folded them into a triangular prism, taping them firmly. They are fitted with a long slip of paper and and ink pad in the middle. We baited the tracking tunnels with peanut butter to attract them. The pests then walk over the ink pad and we can identify their footprints.

Chew Cards:​We bent some coroflute and smeared peanut butter onto the card. We nailed the chew cards onto the nearest tree by each tracking tunnel. The reason we did this is to identify the bite marks from the predators that try to get the peanut butter.

Laying the tracking tunnels:​One lunch time while the seniors were at camp, Toni Watts helped us to lay the tracking tunnels around the school. We laid them 50 metres apart and attached the chew cards on a tree beside them. We lay them along the fence lines and in the trees in the carpark as this is where we thought the predators would most likely be.

What we found:​Using a trapping website, we carefully examined our tracking sheets and the footprints on them. It was quite tricky to tell the difference between some of them!We think we in our school grounds we have… possums, mice, lots of hedgehogs, and possibly cats, stoats and a skink!We also found that a lot of rain washes the peanut butter off the chew cards.We plan to repeat this next year when the weather is drier!

Term Three is the term the Enviro Leaders and teachers brainstorm lots of different ideas for enhancing our school through upcycling, beautifying and working together. This year we were very busy! There were lady bug and bee planters made by Totara students from old tyres to make our grounds look fabulous. Kauri and Kahikatea worked hard to decorate the Warburton Wall and court with a range of artistic additions. Manuka designed and painted aprons for our volunteers in the Garden to Table kitchen, while Rimu upcycled gumboots into planters, and tin can into windchimes. Kowhai were busy painting signs for the vegetable gardens, planting seeds and planter pots. Due to some wet weather not all projects were finished by the end of the term, and will continue to be worked on in Term 4. Keep your eye out when you're out and about in our school playground and see what new additions you can spot!

]]>Sat, 30 Jun 2018 19:25:37 GMThttp://www.northloburn.school.nz/enviro-blog/waste-audit-2018In Term 2 our school collected rubbish for our annual waste audit. We had to take all our rubbish and recycling to the hall to see what was able to be sustainably discarded, and what was going to be landfill. We sorted all of the rubbish into boxes by their different type. Eg, organic waste, recycling, landfill. We weighed & recorded them one by one. The landfill was 200g. If the paper towels were included it would have been 600g. Last year it was 900 grams. Tony, our Enviro Schools expert, was very surprised. At the end of the day the results were great and we should be proud of what we do at North Loburn School. We need to continue to remember to put our waste in the right place!By Cate, Sophia & Grace​NLS Enviroleaders

]]>Sat, 30 Jun 2018 19:14:19 GMThttp://www.northloburn.school.nz/enviro-blog/more-t-shirt-bagsFor two sessions we had Lesley Ottey from Eco Educate come to talk to us. She was taught us how to make t-shirt bags. We joined with our Year 7-8 class and they helped us make no-sew bags from old t-shirts. These upcycled reusable bags are being handed out in community with the important message about reducing single use plastic. Some went to the hardworking volunteers at budget services and some have also gone to some local RTLBs to use as teaching kits. The bulk are for sale, gold coin , at CBK in Kaiapoi with money going to Kaiapoi food forest. We are making these no sew bags because we are trying to reduce the amount of single use plastic bags and generally just plastic we use. It also reduces our landfill.By Sarah, Hayley, Sophie, Katie, Jorja​NLS Enviroleaders​

In 2017, Ranger Campbell, Tom and Izzy made a video to support ‘Plastic Straw Free Rangiora. The video has won a number of national competitions, the first of which was 'The Outlook for Someday' Enviroschools Sustainable Future Award. Recently is has won yet another competition in the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival, earning North Loburn School a $200 voucher that will be going towards the schools enviro projects. They went to the local shops in Rangiora and inquired about their use of plastic straws and what alternatives could be used. Many local cafes are now plastic straw free. The message of the video is simple - just say "No straw please" and help cut down on single use plastic. ​Check out the video here "Straw Free Rangiora​"

By Charley, Eliza, Gwen, Lucy and Sophie. NLS Enviroleaders

]]>Mon, 14 May 2018 12:00:00 GMThttp://www.northloburn.school.nz/enviro-blog/litter-free-lunchesLitter Free Lunches are an important part of keeping our neat little school as sustainable as we can. This term a team of Enviroleaders have created a pamphlet to accompany the lunch boxes that are gifted to each of our New Entrants. Check it out!

One fine day in 2017 Lesley Ottey from Eco Educate came in and talked to the 2017 Enviro Team from North Loburn School about how to make T-Shirt bags out of rescued T-Shirts. We made these because we wanted to replace single use plastic bags, and it also meant that we saved old t-shirts from ending up in landfill. Sophie Ward-Martin was one of these Enviro leaders and she went home to made a couple T-shirt bags. She sent her Grandma one for Christmas. When her Grandma opened it she went along to a church craft team in the Hawke’s bay and they made T-shirt bags all day. These went to a town fair that was wanting to go plastic bag free. It was very successful! Now the fair will be plastic bag free for many years to come. One little thing can be BIG!By Grace Tooley, Henry Webb & Sophia BurgessEnviroleaders

]]>Sun, 13 Aug 2017 07:13:48 GMThttp://www.northloburn.school.nz/enviro-blog/electric-carsIndia, Britain, France and Norway have all set dates to completely ditch petrol and diesel cars to get cleaner vehicles like electric cars and at least 10 other countries have also set targets. It would be great if New Zealand could set a goal like this as well. The benefits of this are that the air will be cleaner for us to breath because there will be no gasses coming from cars, this will also help reduce climate change, and we don’t have to drill for oil which is killing sea life. In the last few months New Zealanders have bought more electric cars than ever before, but we can do better.

Does anyone else have any enviro news? If you would like it included, please contact Ranger Leary, a Year 8 Totara student and enviro-leader. ranger.leary@northloburn.school.nz ​

In the South Pacific Ocean researchers have mapped a plastic patch bigger than Greenland. Researchers think that the patch is roughly 2.5 million square kilometres wide. Much of the waste seems to have come from New Zealand which is shocking. To solve this we need to cut down on the plastic we use or not use any at all. Think before you buy and think before you throw away.

Thankyou to Mrs Webb for suggesting this.​ Does anyone else have any enviro news? If you would like it included, please contact Ranger Leary, a Year 8 Totara student and enviro-leader. ranger.leary@northloburn.school.nz