Windsor School, based in Christchurch, has also received $1,200 from the Mazda Foundation to makeover an area of the school field.

The money will go towards building a walkway which will have native trees, herbs and flaxes planted alongside it. Mosaic stepping stones will also be created by year four pupils and laid in the newly created play area.

The garden will allow students to learn more about the environment and the school hopes to put up birdhouses and, in time, create an outdoor classroom when the garden is more established.

Nelson based Richmond Playcentre has received $500 from the Mazda Foundation to complete an outdoor play area.

The old playground will be replaced with a new one for the children to enjoy. The funding provided by the Mazda Foundation will allow the centre to finish improvements by putting down new soil and bark, making it a safe area for the children to play in.

Richmond Playcentre hopes to have the work completed in time for summer, so the children can enjoy playing in the sunshine.

Ruakaka Surf Lifesaving Patrol has received $6,176 from the Mazda Foundation to purchase a new Mercury motor for one of its Inflatable Rescue Boats (IRB). The motors are invaluable to the protection of the community both at Ruakaka and Uretiti beaches and at events in other locations across Northland.

The organisation is currently training eight new IRB drivers to increase the skill set within the club and provide Northland with more IRB-ready crews.

The motor will allow the patrol to cater for the busy summer months, by increasing the speed of the boat and the response time in emergency situations, which is critical for any rescue attempt.

The New Zealand Conservation Trust received $6,355 in the latest Mazda Foundation funding round, for its Great Spotted Kiwi breeding programme, based in Christchurch.

The Trust operates various conservation projects and works closely with the Department of Conservation to address the declining kiwi population through a specialised breeding programme.

The funding will allow the Trust to purchase 20 diagnostic timers which accurately monitor how long a kiwi has been incubating an egg and indicates to the fieldworker when the egg needs to be removed. Eggs need to be taken from the parents to protect them from predator threats and to ensure the continuation of the iconic native species.

Arts Access Aotearoa, based in Wellington, has received $1,258 from the Mazda Foundation to buy a new computer and software.

The organisation supports those with physical and mental disabilities alongside those with language barriers to ensure that art remains accessible.

Arts Access Aotearoa works in partnership with Creative Spaces to provide its members with an opportunity to create their own art and work together to produce exhibitions showcasing their talents. Its national exhibition, Make/Believe, featured 35 different works and received high praise from critics.

The funding from the Mazda Foundation will assist the organisation in continuing to communicate effectively with communities across the country.

Manuka Community House, an early learning centre and family support service based in Nelson, has been granted $1,360 in the latest Mazda Foundation funding round. The donation will be used to purchase new safety mats for the children to use during play time.

The centre provides childcare for up to 24 children from a variety of different areas and backgrounds, including those from refugee families. It is working towards achieving the Gold Healthy Heart by promoting a high standard of healthy eating and physical activity.

While applying for the award, the centre became aware that the safety mats were not at the required safety level for the children.

The grant from the Mazda Foundation will not only provide the children with safe mats, it will also offer them an active lifestyle and bring the playcentre one step closer to achieving the Gold Healthy Heart award.

Hibiscus Coast Schools Waterwise Society has received $798 from the Mazda Foundation to purchase a new beach trolley for their patrol boat.

The society educates local school children on the basics of water safety in a supervised environment. The beach trolley will allow the patrol boat to be easily manoeuvred at the start and end of each session.

“The new beach trolley will enable Waterwise instructors and parent helpers to quickly prepare the patrol boat, making the lessons more efficient,” says, Susan Lott, Hibiscus Coast Schools Waterwise Society committee member.

“We are aiming to introduce the trailer before the spring term begins as this is when the Waterwise programme will start to get busy.”

The beach trolley will help to transport the waterwise patrol boat which the Mazda Foundation funded in 2009.

Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) has received $5,213 to purchase new clothing for staff and volunteers to wear as part of the visit of Sirocco the Kᾱkᾱpo in partnership with the Kᾱkᾱpo Recovery programme.

Maungatautari is a 3, 400 hectare forested mountain in the Waikato Basin. It is an internationally significant restoration site, protected by a 47km predator-proof fence. The Trust is tasked with preserving native plants and species that are under threat, whilst also reintroducing species that are endangered across New Zealand. As part of the Trust’s work, a programme of reintroductions has already seen the return of many threatened species such as Kaka, Hihi, Giant Weta, North Island Robin and the Kiwi.

Kᾱkᾱpo, the world’s rarest species of parrot and possibly the oldest living bird, is part of a reintroduction programme that the Trust is planning for the region. Sirocco is the champion bird for the Kᾱkᾱpo Recovery Programme and it is hoped that his visit help to raise awareness for the Kᾱkᾱpo. With only 126 left in the wild the species is critically endangered and it has become vital to increase public awareness for New Zealand’s conservation plight.

“We are delighted with the assistance from the Mazda Foundation for the funding of the uniforms. The weather at Maungatautari is varied and staff often host our interactive guided walks through the forest at night, so it’s really important that they have the right clothing to stay warm and dry,” says, Malcolm Anderson, General Manager of Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust.

A purpose-built professionally designed outdoor enclosure is being constructed in Maungatautari which will replicate Sirocco’s natural, mountainous bush surroundings.

Waikouaiti School has received a $750 grant from the Mazda Foundation to purchase a class set of ukuleles for students to learn to play during their music lessons.

The school has hired ukuleles in the past and it proved to be such a success with the students that the school decided to provide each student in the music class with an instrument to practice with.

“We’re thrilled to receive this donation from the Mazda Foundation. The students are so passionate about learning to play the ukulele, they love to sing and play music,” says Trudy Pankhurst, Principal of Waikouaiti School.

“Many of our students live 45 minutes drive from Dunedin so they don’t have the opportunity to attend music lessons offered in the city. School ukulele lessons allow them to practice a lot closer to home.”

The school hopes that the ukulele lessons will encourage students to learn more about music, rhythm, tune and culture.

The environmental group, Save the Otago Peninsula Inc (STOP) received a grant of $1,375 to provide plants to enhance the habitat of the Jewelled gecko which is currently in decline, and encourage population growth.

Over the last few years the population of Jewelled geckos, a species native to the South Island of New Zealand, is known to have declined by at least 200 geckos. The need to enhance their natural environment and encourage food sources to flourish is urgent to help increase their numbers.

The decline of the Jewelled gecko population is due to a combination of impacts on their environment. Predation by rodents, poaching for the animal black market, and isolation of suitable remnants containing food plants have all contributed to the Jewelled gecko being listed as in decline. To combat these threats predator-proof fencing was erected in 1993 and habitats undergo constant protection, but environmental enhancement is still necessary.

“We are delighted with the funding provided by the Mazda Foundation, it will allow us to improve the Jewelled gecko’s natural environment and hopefully cause numbers to increase. They are a native species to New Zealand and so it is important we work hard to protect them,” says, Lala Frazer, spokesperson for Save the Otago Peninsula.

The donation from the Mazda Foundation will be used by volunteers from Save the Otago Peninsula group to plant Kanuka, Corokia and Coprosma plants both within a reserve and to join isolated remnants. Kanuka in particular provides a good habitat as it shades over grass, reducing mice numbers, and geckos become less accessible to poachers.