Onslow College was opened in 1956 to serve the growing populations of the northwestern suburbs. It was built on a large gorse and clay hillside site on the windblown northern slopes of Mt Kaukau looking towards Johnsonville. To provide wind shelter, fast growing pines and macrocarpa were planted. Gorse, scrub and blackberry prevailed over much of the rest of the site apart from the areas developed as sports fields.

A few years ago the school started looking towards its 50^th anniversary in 2006. By now the macrocarpa and pine trees had grown very big and gorse and blackberry still dominated. However, it was a time of growing environmental awareness. The school curriculum had widened to include subjects such as horticulture and design. The potential for integrating a project (or series of projects) to improve the physical environment with the school curriculum was seen by a group comprising former and current teachers and parents. Students could learn about and create their own physical outdoor learning and recreational environment. Community – school relations could be enhanced.

Those proposing this plan saw how it could be linked with many aspects of the curriculum such as social studies, health, design, science, technology, horticulture, biology, English, Maori, journalism even drama and film. The projects would help and encourage the students to create and maintain their own sustainable, natural and beautiful physical environment.

About three years ago preliminary plans were drawn up for a number of landscape development projects over the site. The impetus came from a retired Onslow teacher and parent Olaf John, an activist in the Botanical Society, who also has a specialist native plant nursery. He put the suggestion to others involved with the school whom he hoped would be supportive. They were. It was anticipated that their first stage of completion would be in 2006 to coincide with the 50^th birthday of the school. A group was formed representing school and community interests. Some initial clearing of blackberry and scrub was done in working bees, and rubbish removed. Native seedlings were nurtured in the school’s nursery.

The school successfully applied to become one the first New Zealand Enviro-Schools in 2001. In the same year a new Principal was appointed who had an enthusiasm for arboriculture. Other projects under the Enviro-schools umbrella such as recycling schemes were instituted.

THE ARBORETUM

The first project in the redevelopment of the school grounds to go ahead is the Onslow College Native Plant Arboretum. It is an area of approximately half a hectare of regenerating native bush on the school grounds above Burma Road. Plans include pathways, lookouts, and special areas to make effective use of the hillside site’s natural attributes. With teacher guidance, the students have worked on design of paths, bollards, signage, and naming. The Onslow College PTA agreed to underwrite the project as its contribution to the school’s 50^th anniversary.

For the dedication in March notable former students were each asked, and willingly agreed, to gift a pohutukawa tree. The intention was that each Year 9 (3^rd form) class would plant a tree, assisted by their Year 13 (7^th form) peer supporters.Others associated with the school and local businesses donated seedlings and other goods and services.

An important part of the project is a memorial kowhai grove to remember students and others associated with the school who have died. A popular 6^th form student died of leukemia last year and the pain in the school is still very strong. Other teenagers have friends who have committed suicide. Such a grove would be a peaceful place for healing. Powhiri and dedication took place on Wednesday 6 March 2002. The first kowhai in the remembrance garden was planted by Marian Hobbs, Minister for the Environment. It was blessed by members of the Kapa Haka group. 7^th form peer supporters assisted 3^rd formers planting their pohutukawa trees. Staff and parents also helped. Following the Dedication, work proceeded on forming the main circular track through the arboretum and the clearing of a large number of pines from the entrance. This work was undertaken with the generous financial support of the Johnsonville Licensing Trust and Onslow College PTA funds.

On the 23^rd of June the College organised the first of its annual Arboretum Planting Galas. The focus of the 2002 planting was to provide shelter for the kowhai planted at the dedication earlier in the year, and to vegetate an area recently cleared of blackberry and an accumulation of rubbish at the entrance to the arboretum. Living Earth donated compost for the planting, and good quality plants were purchased from Moores Valley Nurseries. In addition we received donations of plants from home nurseries to the college nursery for planting. At the planting gala over 200 trees, shrubs and flaxes were planted.

As well as involving the students in all aspects important guidance has been provided by many staff and parents. Richard Goldsbrough, the school’s Enviro-schools co-ordinator and horticulture teacher has a major role. Principal Stuart Martin, has given his chain saw expertise in the weekends chopping down the old pines. The school’s property manager and caretaker have worked very hard on preparing and caring for the site. Deidre Burke former student, now parent, donated her considerable landscaping skills and project management expertise to the project and liaises with former students and local businesses for financial and other support. Other staff members and parents enthusiastically give their time. Each person individually provides a great role model for school and community. Working together they are creating a model for positive environmental change that many other schools could copy.

SOME PURPOSES OF ARBORETUM

· Provides a remembrance kowhai grove for students, staff and others associated with the school who have died. A memorial book will record tree planting and link this grove with other memorial sites around the school.

· Provides practical opportunities for a variety of curriculum areas (horticulture, art, design, film, English, Maori, journalism, health, Kapa Haka, peer support). For example environmental education in social studies aims to teach ‘an awareness of the need for individual and group action in maintaining a natural resource’. Cross-curricula potential is huge.

· Supports the Board of Trustees’ legal requirements to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi by providing opportunities to learn nga tikanga Maori.

· Encourages an appreciation of the holistic natural environment and the type of trees sympathetic to the Onslow environment.

· Provides a school identity project that the current Year 9s (third formers) could follow through till they leave in the school’s anniversary year of 2006 when the first stage comes to fruition.

· Develops a school identity focus for former students and others associated with the school who have the opportunity for a tangible and spiritual link back to their school in the form of gifted trees.

· Provides a project for the wider school community and local businesses to participate in, help grow, observe and enjoy over many years.

· Provide a tangible central project for an increased school-wide environmental awareness. Other projects such as mountain bike tracks and improved sport and recreation areas can develop from here. Caring for the environment in the form of arboriculture can lead to increase in recycling awareness, and decrease in littering and vandalism.

· Creates a healthy environment to promote general well-being, positive energy and pleasant recreational opportunities.

· Provides an attractive community resource which can be appreciated by others living nearby such as the residents in the Malvina Major retirement home across the road.

· Share skills and knowledge with other local environmental groups such as the Karori Sanctuary, Trellisick Park, the Botanical Society, Otari. By teaching skills as part of the curriculum many students may go on to join these groups, some of which are suffering through lack of young new members.

· Access knowledge and skills of, and work with, government and local agencies such as Wellington City Council, Wellington Regional Council, Department of Conservation, Ministry for the Environment.

· Provides a link with NZ Ecological Restoration Network through school’s website etc.

· Provides a local secondary school that can foster the gardening and related skills already nurtured in some local primary schools like Otari School.

· Co-ordinate with and perhaps mentor other Enviro-schools.

RESULTS SO FAR

The school students have been encouraged to respect their physical environment by their actions of nurturing native trees. Since the planting there has been no vandalism in the area even though this area is well- used both during and out of school hours. Another working bee to cut paths, clear more blackberry and prepare more planting areas will be held before the first annual community planting gala in June.

The school students themselves are learning an appreciation of their physical environment that will hopefully last beyond the school gates and beyond their school days. They are developing an awareness of human impact on the environment and social responsibility involved in a group activity such as this. Not only have they enthusiastically participated in cleaning up rubbish, but they have also been involved in the planning and planting processes. The cross-curricula opportunities are being taken up. The holistic philosophical ethos of this project has particularly appealed to the young environmentally aware citizens of 2002. As adults they can return and see the results of their efforts. They are also showing other schools how caring for the physical environment can nurture a sense of school identity and improve school/community relations.

This is a model of a cooperative project focused on kids caring for their environment. It is cyclic. Students cooperate with each other in their classes and over form levels. Students and staff work for a common cause. Teaching staff co-operate with support staff, parents, former staff, former pupils, community groups and local businesses.

This is only step one. It will grow and develop for many years. The arboretum itself should be fully formed by 2006 but the whole environmental rethinking and reforming of the Onslow College landscape will unfold for many years.