Mountview Nature Garden

Mountview School's amazing nature garden was a project started in 2020. We were asked to support the school to develop a big area of grass where a classroom had recently been removed. The principal wanted the space to look amazing, as it was seen from the road by visitors to the school. We wanted to have a biodiversity hotspot, where native species could thrive and tamariki could connect with nature in the school grounds.

We started the project by getting a group of Mountview School tamariki together as ‘KGT Rangers’. These tamariki would lead the project and come up with a plan with the support of local ecologist (and school parent), Alana Delich. We began by doing a biodiversity survey in the spot. The only plants that the students found were grass and one stump. They searched hard for bugs and found only ants, flies and spiders. The only birds that we saw were a few blackbirds flying overhead.

Next, we headed to Te Totara stream and did the same surveys. We were lucky to be supported by lots of local experts. Krysia and Ardy from DOC/Taupō for Tomorrow in Turangi came to help us explore the stream. Alana helped us to do bird and invertebrate surveys. We found lots of birds, bugs, and plants. It really gave us all an idea about ‘good biodiversity’ and we thought about how we could get that at the school.

The Rangers also checked out the Hinemoa Kindergarten ngahere, that we had planted with them. They got lots of ideas from there too.

We came back to school over the following months and thought about how we could bring the biodiversity and the feelings of the ngahere (forest) to school. The team made lists of what they wanted and then checked those lists against criteria such as affordability, practicality, and whether they fit the vision. From there, the Rangers presented to assembly and then all of the students in the school made plans. The Rangers looked at all of the plans and worked with Alana to come up with a final plan for the site.

In 2021, the Mountview KGT Rangers applied to our Contact Energy Take Action Fund and received $1500 towards the project. The school also received funding from other sources. Finally, after a year of planning, the digger arrived! The nature garden started to come together and the vision map began to come alive. A maunga was added and planted, paths were made, top soil was added, weed matting was put down, a bridge built, and the awa was concreted. A tap at the top of the maunga made the river flow, . Four different ecosystem zones were created - a maunga (Mountain), an awa (river), a repo (wetland) and a ngahere (forest).

In November 2021 we had a very hot afternoon planting in the nature garden. KGT kairuruku reo Māori Tākoha led a session with the rumaki (immersion class) and then with local ecologist Alana's guidance we planted more plants in the ngāhere (forest), repo (wetland) and maunga (mountain) areas. It's looked great! There was even a ngutukākā (kākā beak) flowering already.

The Rumaki at school researched the four ecosystems represented in the nature garden and then created signage about the plants that grow in each area. They even made them bilingual! Quality Print Ltd printed the signs A3 size on outdoor signage material and they were displayed in the garden.

In 2023, every class spent time in the garden learning about its history and planting some more plants. Donated harakeke was split and added to the garden with a lesson about the tikanga of how to do this from our Kairuruku reo Māori, Benoir.

In 2023, we also had fun planting a new bug/lizard habitat with the new entrants classes. This project was in the planning all year, with a trip to the Waipahihi Botanical Reserve to get inspiration by learning about habitats and native plants. They also went bug hunting, made huts, spotted birds, found fungi, tasted kōwaowao, met a wētā, and sat under big trees thinking about how it feels to be out in nature. It was a lovely afternoon of nature connection, fun and learning.

Back at school they had in-class sessions with our coordinator, Rachel, reading a book about lizards and learning about what they need to survive. They made plans and brought items from home for the area. They had rotten logs full of bugs, boulders to put in the sun, a little pond, flowering plants with nectar, swan plants, grasses and tangly plants for hiding in, and plants with berries for the lizards. They even made an amazing bug hotel!

Over the next few years, we continued to infill plant and weed the area, and the plants flourished! An amazing pou carved by master carver, Delany Brown was also added to the space by the school.

In 2026, we took the 6 junior classes through the garden for a 'tour' and talked to them about each area, the history of the space, and the special plants that are in there. We watched tiny riroriro flitting around in the trees and spotted caterpillars in their branches. Then, each class contributed to it by planting their own plants too. It was amazing to see the biodiversity in this space that was just grass a few years ago. Then a few weeks later, a Year 7-8 class helped with more infill planting and a huge mulching session.

In 2026, a Year 4 class took on a further area of the school, planning and planting another biodiversity garden with support from our coordinator, Rachel. The school is looking great and biodiversity is flourishing!

Thanks so much to the awesome school gardener, Glenn, for all his help and to Contact Energy The Possum and First Credit Union for sponsoring the plants.