The future generation at Peria School can get their little green fingers stuck into what really counts thanks to a grant from the Mazda Foundation.

Situated in Kaitaia, the lower decile school works hard to ensure students receive the best possible education in the classroom – and out of it.

Peria School plans to use a $600 grant from the Foundation for the establishment of a tree nursery for students to propagate native endangered Rata trees.

Nestled away in the scenic Oruru Valley, which is named after the Ruru (Owl), the small school is committed to caring for the environment.

Principal Dave Sedcole says the goal is to educate students about the precious land that they live on.

Peria School students get down with nature under the guidance of tutor Chris Wilson

“It is one of the few areas in New Zealand where you can still hear the Kiwi at night. However their numbers are declining due to pests and domestic animals,” says Mr Sedcole.

The grant will enable students to participate in protecting forests and give them knowledge and skills to be proactive.

“We all must become guardians and do our bit to save endangered animals and plants.”

The school has purchased potting mix, seed trays, irrigation, seed raising mix, sand and several utensils for the final implementation stages of the 2006 shade house project.

An important project to monitor and protect New Zealand’s native Monarch Butterfly is about to take flight thanks to an $8,000 grant by the Mazda Foundation for a nation-wide research project.

Jacqui Knight, Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trustee, said the grant will enable the Trust to embark on a much-needed national research project to find out whether butterfly populations in New Zealand are declining as suspected, and look at what can be done to reverse any adverse impact.

“There has been little research carried out on New Zealand’s beautiful and unique butterfly populations, and if we are to conserve species effectively, it is vital that we monitor how they are faring,” said Jacquie Knight.

“The Mazda Foundation grant will enable us to conduct workshops around New Zealand to recruit and train people for a butterfly transect monitoring programme and a butterfly tagging programme.”

The butterfly transect monitoring programme involves people walking a set route, each week on warm, sunny days between October and March during which they record details of the butterflies they observe in a set space around them.

“This is something that anybody could become involved in and is a simple and enjoyable way for people to make a difference,” said Jacqui Knight.

“When undertaken over a series of years it provides vital information on butterfly populations and early warnings of species’ decline so we can implement conservation measures before entire species are lost.”

The tagging programme will provide valuable information on butterflies’ longevity and dispersal throughout New Zealand as well as their over-wintering habits.

www.monarch.org.nz

“By providing these kids with laptop computers and liaising closely with teachers and schools, we can ensure that lessons are put on to disk and the learning continues uninterrupted for these children,” said Kate Russell of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand.

Since the beginning of 2004, the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand has purchased 40 laptops and through a $15,000 Mazda Foundation grant they have been able to provide another 10 to the young people on their waiting list. That is ten more children who will be able to keep up with their friends and be empowered to make the best of their education.

“They are able to get assignments in on time, be set tasks and work by their teacher as well as keeping in touch with the classroom activities and maintaining vital social relationships with their classmates. For many, a laptop is a luxury. For kids with Cystic Fibrosis they are fast becoming an essential tool to ensure education and independence are maximized,” said Kate Russell.

One of the recipients of the laptops, Makena Houston of Hawkes Bay (pictured) said: “I have spent so much time in hospital because I had a bad run of chest infections. I would have got so behind if I didn’t have my laptop. It helps me do my homework and I can do really cool presentations on it and I can email my friends which is really great.”

Makena and her friend Kimberley who also has Cystic Fibrosis are often in hospital together but because of cross-infection rules they can’t be in the same room. They used to pass notes on a string in a cup between their rooms – now they have laptops they can communicate a bit more effectively!

www.cfnz.org.nz

The award-winning Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre cares for, treats and rehabilitates 1300 injured native birds each year – including our country’s icon, the Kiwi.

The Centre, founded by Robert and Robyn Webb sixteen years ago, takes in all injured birds, and where possible nurses them back to health for release into the wild.

A special part of the Centre is the Bayer incubation unit and Kiwi recovery pens. This facility is used to incubate eggs found in the wild and also as a recovery area for injured Kiwi. Over the past twelve years 120 Kiwi chicks have been hatched from the Centre, and on the day zoom-zoom magazine spoke to the Centre, Robert was preparing for the arrival of a female North Island brown Kiwi, which had been attacked by a dog. The Kiwi, aged about six years, has since been released into the wild in time for breeding.

In addition to providing a safe environment for the care and rehabilitation of native birds, the Centre provides an education centre for the public on areas of native habitat, birds and animals – and receives tens of thousands of visitors every year.

One of the Centre’s more famous attractions is ‘woof woof’ the talking Tui. Robert and Robyn received this bird when it was just five days old, and have cared for it ever since as it couldn’t be released back into the wild. At the age of two, they were in for a great surprise when the Tui one day said – “hello, woof-woof”! Now, ‘woof-woof’ the Tui can string sentences together and puts cockatoos to shame – to the delight of visitors who gawk in disbelief as the bird says to them: “Where have you been?” or “Come up here quick”. Around November the talking Tui greets visitors with a “Merry Xmas”.

The Mazda Foundation has donated $2,500 to the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre to assist with the purchase of food, medication, cleaning gear and vehicle costs so that the team can continue their great work of caring for and rehabilitating New Zealand’s native birds.

www.whangareinativebirdsrecovery.org.nz

Wiri Central Primary School’s Kapa Haka and Tongan cultural groups are enjoying their new uniforms, purchased through a grant of $4,910 from the Mazda Foundation.

These cultural groups perform frequently at school and community events and are a source of pride for the local South Auckland community.

In July last year, on the eve of his daughter’s tenth birthday, Paul White discovered he was having trouble lifting his shoulder. By the end of the evening Paul couldn’t even hold a teacup and his condition deteriorated so badly that the next day he was admitted to intensive care.

Paul was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, often causing paralysis as a result.

Now almost a year later, and after six months in hospital (two in intensive care), Paul still has no movement in his arms or legs. He is based fulltime at Rehab Plus in Pt Chevalier where he is undergoing intensive physiotherapy to help him build up his muscles and get movement back.

Prior to the onset of this debilitating syndrome, Paul was an engineer with a boat-building company, carrying out very physical work. Paul’s goal is to re-train in the boat-building industry as a boat designer, with the goal of eventually resuming employment with his old company in a new role. The course itself will be full-time,two to three years and based at Unitec in Pt Chevalier.

The Mazda Foundation grant of $3,800 enabled Paul to purchase a special laptop computer and laser operated keyboard. The equipment, developed by New Zealand technology company Lomak International, enables Paul to use the computer through a light operated mouse and keyboard. A small laser attached to his visor means that by moving his head to direct the laser, Paul can activate the mouse and keyboard.

“Having this equipment is going to be great for me long-term, but it has already been a major help. It is all portable so I can take it home with me during my weekend day visits and it means I can access email and the outside world! It has really enhanced my independence so that I don’t need to rely on someone else.”

Homai Kindergarten in Manurewa, Auckland received a Mazda Foundation Grant of $2,262 to purchase canvases and art materials for the students aged 4 – 5 years. Each child explored creatively with colour and different textured material and the result is one hundred wonderful works of art!

As you can see from the pictures it is wonderful to see what pre-schoolers can accomplish if they are given access to materials and the opportunity to create. There is definitely more than a few budding artists from this Kindergarten and we hope to see them enter the Mazda Emerging Artist Award as they get a bit older!