Mairtown Kindergarten: Nature Programme - Thank you to COG's and Fonterra Grass Roots Fund

Monday 13 August 2018

Nature Programme - Thank you to COG's and Fonterra Grass Roots Fund

Our Nature Programme has been a successful part of our kindergarten programme since July 2011. It is something that as a team we highly value and know that by providing this initiative there is a very positive flow on effect for the children and their whānau. It is a forward-thinking initiative and we are very proud to be able provide this service for our kindergarten community.

“Good for nature, good for you… And it’s a reciprocal relationship because as important as nature has been shown for our health and happiness, our interactions with the natural world are just as important for protecting nature and the environment…If we can help people to connect with nature, that’s not just good for them, its great news for nature….The more people that care intrinsically for their local environment and value the positive impact it has on their own lives, the more they’ll want to protect it from destruction. (Cloes & McRobert, 2016)

We are lucky to have such great support from our attending whānau and we are thankful that collectively as teachers we have a team that value this programme immensely and make sure that it’s something that we can maintain for all the children who attend Mairtown Kindergarten. To make this programme successful we do rely on funding to cover the costs of things like the wages of our Nature Programme Coordinator and to purchase wet weather gear so that the children and teachers can immerse themselves in this all-weather programme.

We have been lucky enough to be supported by the Community Organisation Grant Scheme (COG’s) for the last few years and this week we were really excited to find out that once more they are granting us funds to help cover the cost of our Nature Programme Coordinator. Sarah has been in this role for quite a number of years and she is such a gem in this role. Please check out our previous blog post about Sarah and the role she plays in our Nature Programme here, "Sarah,our beautiful Nature Programme Coordinator". This grant means a lot to our kindergarten community and it allows us to continue for another year to offer rich learning experiences for our children, for their whānau and for the teachers in our local ngahere.

This year we have also been lucky enough to have received a grant from the ‘Fonterra Grass Roots Fund’ to purchase new wet weather gear for the children and wet weather jackets for the teachers. At the beginning of this term we were able to try out our new gear for the first time on the Nature Programme. Being able to provide appropriate clothing for the children is so important. It helps make this programme inclusive and it also makes sure that the children can engage and enjoy what the natural environment has to offer in meaningful way.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing” (Ranulph Fiennes)

Having the right clothing is so essential to explore the beautiful bush and all the exciting things that it has to offer. When we have wet weather gear on, even on the sunniest of days, it allows us to sit on the damp ground with no worries, it means we can go bum sliding in the mud while still staying ‘mostly’ clean and it allows us to play in the rain while staying warm and dry. Having wet weather gear is vital to our programme's success.

We believe that by providing this programme our children are able to have amazing experiences week after week in our 'back yard', and we are also creating many opportunities for them to develop their eco-literacy and sustainable thinking. This, we feel, is one of the most important and significant experiences that we can offer our children and whānau at Mairtown Kindergarten. We are supporting the children in building a great appreciation for nature and all it has to offer and encouraging them to think carefully about how they can look after our environment now and in the future.

"Effective environmental education programmes need to be personally relevant to the everyday lives of children and youth, and what is in their ‘own backyard’. It is important that programmes are directly related to the local context and give learners a chance to ‘explore and experience what’s around them’. Environmental educators need to reintroduce learners to their local area by exploring and experiencing it, by learning about it and celebrating it. By doing so, environmental educators help learners develop a sense of wonder and a sense of place."
(Department of Conservation NZ, 2011)

We can’t thank both COG’s and Fonterra Grass Roots Fund enough for their support and we are truly grateful for the grants that they have gifted Mairtown Kindergarten this year. We are so delighted that we can continue to offer this fantastic programme for our community.