Rosmini Envirogroup claim second place in Sustainability Challenge Race
Congratulations to our young eco warriors Ryder, Kiran, Patrick and Marley for claiming second place at the Sustainability Challenge Race at Auckland Botanic Gardens on 13 June.
The race sees teams of 4 students compete in a 2-hour event, which includes a mix of running/walking, navigation and sustainability based activities. Teams navigate to as many checkpoints as they can, collecting points for each checkpoint visited. To earn extra points teams can complete sustainability themed activities which require some research and teamwork. Examples of activities could be to identify native bird calls, match a pest to the correct trap used or make something from flax.
This innovative event aims to help students:
- Foster a sense of kaitiakitanga for our Auckland regional parks, raise awareness of how special they are, the threats posed to them and how students can make a difference by taking positive action for the environment.
- Work together as a team developing key competencies
- Enjoy and value the ‘ecological sustainability’ of our regional parks.
The Rosmini team were initially nervous as it was the school's first time competing, but after some detailed planning and strategizing, they started with a bang. Their tactic of bypassing initial activities to avoid crowds allowed them to focus on navigation and checkpoint collection, even through driving rain.
The team excelled in the sustainability activities, often surprising facilitators with their in-depth knowledge. Their strategic decision to collect final points close to the finish line, mindful of the 30-point penalty for every minute late, paid off. Their hard work and strategic thinking were rewarded when they secured second place, a thrilling outcome given their initial apprehension about competing against more experienced teams.
With two more Sustainability Challenges scheduled for different parts of Auckland this year, the team is already setting their sights on a first-place finish.
