Sunflower seed saving

Check out one of the lunch-time workshops run by the ECO Team.  We were gathering sunflower seeds from Allana's old dead flowers.

We labelled the packets and illustrated them so we would remember what was in the packet.
We then wrote the instructions on the back so we know how to plant them next spring.

We are looking forward to seeing lots of sunflowers visiting school next year after they flower.

Well done to ECO Team Leader Maya for helping organise and manage this activity.  

John Key visit!

WOW! John Key came to Springston School. The Kapa haka group did their song and haka.

OMG! Lilly is famous. She got to talk to John Key about why she loves the Secret Garden. Maya gave John Key a bottle of worm pee.

By Aria and  Logan R
ECO Team

John Key visits our Secret Garden

John Key visited the Secret Garden and talked to a few students about their garden. He talked to them about why they like having their own garden.

People talked to him about worm pee and how it helps the garden - we gave him  a bottle of worm pee. He had a piece of lettuce and talked to special visitors who help and try very hard to support the Secret Garden.

By Rosie and Ollie

Our playground is back!

Yay, our playground is back. Come and join the fun. But please don't throw the gravel.

By Ollie

Vege Quiz Week Two

We found more mystery plants today. Do you know what they are? Please comment if you know.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

By Logan.

Visitors to the Butterfly Garden

We have had lots of visitors at the Butterfly Garden in our Secret Garden.

What kind of butterfly is this? If you know, please leave us a comment below.

By Ollie

Worm farmers

At school we have some worm farmers. Their names are Maya, Harriet and Kaylee.

Don't put your food waste in the rubbish bin, put it in the worm bucket in your class. The worm farmers will take it to the Secret Garden to put in a worm farm.

Our worm farms 

Inside a worm farm

By Aria 

Vege Quiz

Today we found some mystery plants in the Secret Garden. Can you guess what they are?

If you know please leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

Vege 1

Vege 2

Vege 3

By Logan

Litter Pickers

The Litter Pickers are ECO leaders who are trying to get people to pick up rubbish so the school is clean. Every lunchtime they pick up rubbish and give out Gotchas to people that pick up lots of rubbish. We are looking forward to having a nice tidy school!

By Ollie from the Promotions Team

Mushroom farms in our classes

We have five mushroom farms in classes all around the school. The classes are sharing the mushrooms.
The mushrooms were given to us by Meadow Mushrooms.

Room 4 and Room 3 cooked the mushrooms in butter and we ate them with toothpicks. Most people loved the mushrooms.

The mushrooms must be in a shady place to grow. Mushrooms need water. They grow in 2-5 days. We are surprised that they can grow very fast and very big.

By Aria from the ECO Promotions Team

ECO Team Leaders

The job descriptions are out for our ECO Team leaders.  We might need to develop more leader positions as regular jobs crop up or we have an action we want to work on.  Take a look at these roles and see which one you want to be responsible for.

Litter Pickers:

Compost Creators:

Worm Farmers:

Promotions Team:

It is great to think we can make a difference to our school and wider environment.  Children CAN change the world!

Enviro Schools Tree Planting Celebration

Springston School’s Enviroschool celebration

Springston School celebrated becoming an Enviroschool on Thursday 27^th February by planting two native trees in the Springston, now not so Secret, Garden. Matt the Selwyn Enviroschools Facilitator organised the ecosourced trees donated by the DOC native plant nursery in Motukarara.

Even the Monarch butterflies from the insect garden were popping out of their chrysalises to celebrate!

The Springston Secret Garden was first started by the Springston Enviro Community group as one of the actions on their community action plan drawn up after consulting the community. It would never have happened without the huge generosity of local Springston identity, Helen M, making the land available. The hard work to clear and develop the back section for the  garden was originally organised by Terry (who has continued on as advisor) helped by Colin and Geoff. 

The very useful tool shed and shade house was built by a local team coordinated by Terry, using funds provided by WWFnz.  The Springston Enviro Community is one of the many Selwyn Envirotown community groups started by the Lincoln Envirotown Trust. 

The extensive input by Allana in the early years and more recently volunteer, Zanada, who has given up many, many hours each week, as well as the Lincoln University student volunteers, most recently Sol and Jana, and of course all the children, have brought the garden to its present wonderful community facility. The fact that Springston School is now an Enviroschool  and the garden being part of this is a great outcome for the community.

The garden is not only for the children, it is a community garden and if anyone would like to use one of the beds to grow food, please contact Sue and if anyone would like to help with the garden or are interested in the Springston Enviro Community group, also contact Sue J.  

Jack's Garden

Jack D had his garden judged for the Agricultural Badges in December.  He is so excited about how it has grown that he sent me these great photos.  Make sure you write him a comment about his hard work.

Fun Day Tree Planting

If you are coming to the PTA Family Fun Night on Thursday, then roll on up to the Secret Garden at 5.30pm for a special celebration of what we have already achieved as an Enviro School.

Three projects to start 2014

There are three amazing projects to start 2014 for all Springston ECO Warriors.  The ECO Teachers will be helping but we are looking for some Senior Students to lead some of these projects.

1.  Make a scrapbook page about what we achieved last year - to be published in a book! (End Term)

2.  Environmental Earth Hour Movie - for a competition (Due March 7th)

3.  Ellesmere Re-cycled Sculpture Competition (Due 31st March)

Anyone can join so roll on up and belong to one of the project teams.   Come to Room 4 at eating lunch to put your name down for the project you want to be part of!

Check out the Growing Garden!

Over the holidays the garden has just GROWN!

We have lots of vegetables ready to harvest - like giant cabbages and the native trees we planted are looking very happy.

The Butterfly Garden really looks like a magic jungle now and have a whole tribe of caterpillars living there.  We might need to grow some more swan plants to feed them with.

The kids allotments are ready for new gardeners.  We will be taking the names of interested people on Monday so make sure you visit the garden next week!

Here are some jobs or projects we though we could do:
Plant winter vegetables
Label the butterfly plants
Trim the butterfly plants
Plant more swan plants
Begin planning a Māori medicinal garden
Finish the insect hotel mound
Add water to the insect hotel

Blooming Butterfly Garden

There had been a reported sighting of two monarch butterflies and lots of caterpillars in our garden over the Christmas break.  Come with me for a look at lunchtime on the first day - we will investigate and see what has been growing!

 These photos were taken in the last week of school.  I wonder what the garden looks like now?

Mosaic Friendship Chairs

Check out the amazing project nearly completed by the ECO Team and helpers in the last two weeks of school.  Look carefully at what is written on each one A+, Friends, a helping hand and other bright symbols.  Special thanks to Freya's Mum who came and worked very hard to help complete this challenge.

We need help to finish cleaning off the glue and then sealing these pieces of art so they can then go out into the playground to be used.  Roll on up to Room 4 at lunchtimes if you are keen to help.