Hinemoa Kindergarten: Growing Kaitiaki of our Taiao

There’s something really special about watching a project come full circle and take a life of its own.

Hinemoa Kindergarten was one of the very first Early Childhood Education centres to join the Kids Greening Taupō programme and they helped plant one of our first ngahere (forest) plantings. Read about their project here. These days, Hinemoa Kindergarten is leading their own conservation work, showing what’s possible when tamariki are given real opportunities to connect with and protect nature. , The kindergarten has been setting up tracking tunnels and building rat traps, with the support of local volunteers like Ian from the Pakeke Lions Club Taupō, to care for their ngahere.

It’s a joy to see our youngest kaitiaki (guardians) checking traps and learning how to protect the birds and insects that live in their special forest space. They’re developing eco-literacy — understanding what their environment needs to thrive — and growing a deep sense of responsibility for the natural world.

Even more inspiring is seeing how confidently they share their knowledge and discoveries, full of curiosity and pride. Every time they head out to the ngahere, they’re not just playing or learning — they’re becoming leaders. The children were extremely excited recently to discover they had caught a rat in one of their traps!

We’re incredibly grateful to community members like Ian and the Pakeke Lions Club, who give their time and energy to support projects like this — and who also do fantastic work with Predator Free Taupō. It’s because of people like them that our kaupapa continues to grow.

At Kids Greening Taupō, we believe environmental leadership can start at any age. The tamariki at Hinemoa Kindergarten are proof of that!

Thank you Hinemoa Kindergarten for the photos below.