$10,000 makeover 'Tree-mendous' news

The grounds at Halfway Bush School are about to spring into life after the Dunedin primary school won a $10,000 Tree-mendous School Makeover.

The school is one of four schools to win the prize - a joint initiative between the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson Trust.

The Tree-mendous team will visit the school next year for a native tree-planting working bee.

Their designated outdoor areas will be transformed into renewed spaces for pupils and teachers to enjoy.

Halfway Bush School principal Winnie Cornelissen was "absolutely thrilled" and said the school planned to develop an active learning space, utilising the expansive school grounds available.

The grass area will be turned into an interactive garden classroom, replicating the school logo, and will feature edible plants, a reading zone, bird watching, and be decorated with plants of various colours and textures.

"The project will involve our school and the wider community coming together to share in creating something truly special that we can all enjoy for years to come."

The other three winning schools were Oakura School (New Plymouth), Porirua School and Whangamata Area School.

Project Crimson executive director Bridget Abernethy said the number of applications received this year showed New Zealand schools had a keen interest in the environment and outdoor education.

"We were delighted to see so many schools applying for Tree-mendous School Makeovers.

"We are very pleased with our chosen schools.

"All of them placed an emphasis on teaching students and the wider community about the environment and our ecosystem."

Mazda Foundation chairman Andrew Clearwater said the company took great pride in being part of the Tree-mendous School Makeover programme which had been responsible for the development of 19 outdoor transformations since 2004.

"We are looking forward to visiting another four schools with the Tree-mendous team next year."

-john.lewis@odt.co.nz