Young environmentalists from South and East Auckland shone at the Eye on Nature Creative Arts 2024 competition, raising awareness of native plants, insects, and animals through their creative designs.
The event, hosted by The Beautification Trust, awarded $2,550 in prizes to winning schools.
Tamaoho Primary School won first place in the primary category with their artwork, ‘Protecting our Pollinators,’ a vibrant display of flowers and insects.
The entire school contributed to the collage, with each student putting their own touch to the flower or butterfly they had picked to illustrate.
Hillpark Kindergarten took the top spot in the kindergarten category with ‘Kaitiaki o to tatou taiao’, a nature-inspired mosaic of leaves and seeds.
Composed of flowers, seeds and leaves gathered from their walks through nature, the piece represents their sustainable growth as they gain more knowledge about the natural environment around them.
All entries are on display at the Auckland Botanic Gardens during the Term 3 school holidays. Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Kindergarten Winners:
1st place, $500: Hillpark Kindergarten, ‘Kaitiaki o to tatou taiao’
2nd place, $250: Pakuranga Baptist Kindergarten, ‘We are old enough to save our planet’
3rd place, $100: KiNZ Mission Heights, ‘Our Future Ngahere’
Primary School Winners:
1st place, $750: Tamaoho Primary School, ‘Protecting our Pollinators’
2nd place, $500: Lucy Athena Belle Buzmion, Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School, ‘Bugs in my Garden’
3rd place, $250: Flynn Head, South Auckland Middle School, ‘Get One Step Ahead’
Other:
Beautification Trust Pick $50: Aorere Kindergarten, ‘Tipu Pakiake’
People’s Choice Awards $150: To be determined
