Flooded classrooms inspiring environmental education

Abstract

Evident by seasonal school closures and issue of public health notices, development in central Porirua has exacerbated flooding events and smothered the once-abundant Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour. A newly constructed wetland (gifted the name Te Kukuwai o Toa by local iwi Ngāti Toa) transcends stormwater flood attenuation. By augmenting an existing greenspace, the urban community is connected to the natural environment through an environmentally sensitive solution. 35,000 native plants have been established to improve the health of the harbour and immediately attracted indigenous fauna into the new ecological heart of central Porirua. The wetland provides an outdoor, interactive classroom,for three kura that encompass the wetland perimeter. Contributing to a range of important topics, the public asset offers education on the area’s physical and cultural history, local species, and sustainable stormwater management. These kura, no longer prone to shutdowns, now have dry classrooms and nature at their doorstep to inspire the next generation to make better decisions for our environment.