Buzzing with Talent: Celebrating the 2025 Greening Taupō Art Competition

What a buzzing celebration we had at Huka Honey Hive this week! The Huka Honey Hive Art Competition 2025 to celebrate Greening Taupō Day wrapped up with an incredible prize giving afternoon that brought together talented young artists an nature lovers.

Held in conjunction with the wonderfully creative Sue Graham – Artist at Wildwood Gallery – this year’s art competition invited tamariki from across Taupō to show their connection with nature through art. Over 3000 entries were printed and shared across local schools, thanks to the amazing support of Quality Print Ltd, and the results were truly awe-inspiring. From lush native forests to buzzing bees and flowing rivers, the artwork reflected the deep care and connection our young people feel for the environment around them.

The excitement at the prizegiving was contagious. Our judges, Jo from Huka Honey HIve, and Sue were blown away by the imagination and detail in every piece. First place winners won a gift baskets filled with an assortment of gifts from the Huka Honey Hive, second place won an art set from Sue Graham and Third prize won honey and a gift from Jo’s personal beehives. The Kids Greening Taupō couldn’t resist awarding a few honorable mentions with a bar of chocolate. A special shout-out goes to Room 21 at Hilltop School, who won an ice cream party for their class!

An extra buzz of excitement came when Huka Honey Hive presented a generous donation of $1,311 to Greening Taupō — funds raised through their own initiatives to support more native tree planting.