(PR.co.nz) Many wonderful activities await Auckland families at this educational event: hang out with your favourite Sticky TV presenters; navigate a bush walk to discover native bugs with Rudd Kleinpaste; plant seedlings in recycled materials; learn how to use left-over food; match packaged food to raw food; blend a smoothie with bicycle power; watch cooking demonstrations; support cultural performances; attend a recycled fashion show and learn all about what’s in your backyard at Eye on Nature.
The Auckland Botanic Gardens is set to welcome thousands of school children and families to this year’s Eye on Nature environmental expo at the beginning of April.
With the vision ‘to plant a seed and grow a young mind’ our annual event Eye on Nature welcomes thousands of school children and families to enjoy activities that promote eco practices. The theme for 2017 is ‘Edibles: From the Ground to the Table’, encouraging children to instigate more sustainable solutions at home and in schools.
Environmental organisations from around New Zealand are partnering with the Manukau Beautification Charitable Trust (MBCT) to host the event, with support from the six Auckland Southern Local Boards, Auckland Botanic Gardens and Second Nature Charitable Trust.
The week-long event will be attended by 1500 primary-aged children from South Auckland schools, Throughout the week educator-led sessions, facilitated by the Trust’s 30 plus environmental partners, will engage and inspire students to get real about where their food is coming from and to get active in their backyard.
With event partners Auckland Botanic Gardens and Oke, 1500 primary students will plant seedlings inside recycled and biodegradable containers, learn how to harvest from seeds and identify which package foods come from plants. Auckland’s Biodiversity and Biosecurity Team will take the primary students on an interactive bush walk exploring native birds and uncovering to students what food birds survive from in our backyard. The Bee Lady and Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust will teach student that insects pollinate our food crops so we need to look after the environment they live in.
Healthy Families, The Heart Foundation and Nutrition Foundation are teaming up to creatively help children identify a healthy lunchbox, how to prepare snacks from plants, identify which food makes them feel amazing and what items in their lunch box can be composted.
Environmental partner, LegaSea, will focus on fishing for abundance by not wasting the lives of fish, not putting waste into the fishing environment, and not wasting edible parts of the fish. Students and Family Day visitors will learn about fish identification, fish handling, and what herbs and fresh vegetables goes best with fresh fish. LegaSea will be encouraging children to look after our ocean and to value its contribution to our lives and meals.
The Roots Creative Entrepreneurs will get creative with plants and plastic and the Drums of the Pacific will enchant the crowd with Pacific Island cultural dancing and host traditional lei making classes. Children can ride a cycle blend bike to make their own smoothies with Love Food Hate Waste and learn what to do with left-over food. Taste test honey, and learn all about our bees with and The Bee Hive. It is safe to say the Trust has a fun packed day for the whole family planned.
Eye on Nature culminates in a free Family Day on Saturday 1st April. Open to all Aucklanders, the Family Day will present a myriad of events and activities to entertain and educate young minds including guest speaker, ‘The Bug Man’ – Rudd Kleinpaste and Sticky TV Presenters – Walter, Jah and Leanna.
During the Family Day, budding chefs will demonstrate their skills in the ‘From the ground to the table’ cooking competition, with high school students competing ‘Masterchef’ style watched-on by the judges and public. Kindergarten and primary school children will show their creativity with a competition based on ‘edibles in unusual containers’. Once again, the search is back on for Auckland’s most promising, young ‘environmentally-conscious’ fashion designers and master up-cyclers. At the end of the day Eye on Nature concludes with the final competition of the day and most popular Wearable Art fashion show where entries from schools across Auckland will be modelled on a catwalk and winners announced.
Where: Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa, Auckland (Entry via Everglade Drive).
When: Saturday 1st April 2017
Timings: 11AM – 8PM
Wearable Arts Fashion Parade: 6PM – 8PM
Includes entertainments, hands-on arts and crafts, games, and prizes.
Food Vendors: Eye on Nature is proud to be a water only event. The Trust is encouraging families to bring their own water bottles to fill up. A small selection of local food vendors will be at Eye on Nature. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic.
Media Release 19 March 2017.