Join now! - 2026 Student Leadership Team applications are open!
Kids Greening Taupō Te Huapae / Vision:
Tamariki and rangatahi from the Taupō District are connected to the taiao (environment), taking action to restore our native biodiversity with the matauranga (knowledge) to be kaitiaki (guardians) for Aotearoa.
Kids Greening Taupō Te Kaupapa / Mission:
We create opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi to participate in real life hands-on restoration projects, to connect in a culturally responsive way to the taiao (environment) and the community.
What are the KGT Student Leadership Teams?
KGT coordinators work in local schools and ECE centres, but we also have extra curricular student leadership teams. These teams are for young people who love being out in nature, are passionate about learning more about the world around them, and want to take action for our environment. We aim to engage these students with local conservation work, building their leadership skills and knowledge of the world around them whilst doing so. We bring in experts to talk to them, have them lead planting days and events, and offer them a variety of conservation learning opportunities. These sessions are generally outside of school hours, however, there may also be opportunities to lead projects in their school. Students have 2-3 compulsory introduction sessions in Term 1. These will be on selected Tuesdays after school. After that, sessions/activities are optional.
What ages can join?
Primary school children aged 7+ who love the outdoors and learning about the natural world around them, can apply to join our junior team.
Intermediate students (Year 7-8s) are offered extra leadership opportunities and a camp opportunity.
High school students keen to learn leadership skills though conservation work can join our senior leadership team. Our senior programme offers opportunities to learn a variety of conservation skills and be acknowledged for these in a more formal way. They will receive a certificate at the end of the year listing their experiences, volunteer work, and achievements. This can be used in their CV when applying for jobs, courses, internships, school leadership roles etc. Senior students may also have opportunities for public speaking, to present to council, to write blogs or newspaper articles, and to run sessions for younger students. Learn more about the Senior Leadership Team here in this blog.
We will also offer opportunities to all ages to take on Predator control work, for those kids who love getting out in the bush, trapping, fishing and learning about our introduced predators.
How do I apply for the Team?
If you are a Taupō youth aged 7-18, you are welcome to apply for a position on one of our 2026 Kids Greening Taupō Student Leadership Teams. There is no charge to join the team, but donations are appreciated.
Fill in the form and email us answers to the open questions to apply for the team. Remember to invite your friends to join too. It’s always more fun to participate with friends.
Learn more about KGT through our blog posts:
Applications close on February 14th 2026
