The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is encouraging children to help protect the environment and prepare for climate change and natural disasters. The council’s School Sustainability and Resilience Fund is now open and accepting applications from schools, kindergartens, and early childhood education centers in the region.
The fund, which has a total of $35,000 available, aims to support educational institutions in starting environmental projects. Steph Macdonald, the Engagement Team Leader at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, explained that the fund allows schools to design and implement their own environmental projects.
Previous projects that have received funding include building wetlands, bike racks, tsunami evacuation signs, fruit forests and vegetable gardens, composting bins, worm farms, and weather monitoring stations. Over the past two years, the council has received over 80 applications and has been able to fund $100,000 worth of projects across the region.
To be eligible for funding, projects must contribute to one or more of the following categories: raising awareness of natural hazards and/or climate change risks, improving long-term resilience and sustainability, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The fund also aims to involve the community in deciding which projects should receive funding. Last year, the council received a total of 2,150 votes from the community. In addition, 16 young people were given the opportunity to help allocate $15,000 through the fund.
Applications for the School Sustainability and Resilience Fund are open until March 15. For more information, visit www.participate.boprc.govt.nz/ssrf.
