Mazda Foundation supports schools

Applications are now open to be one of four lucky schools to receive $10,000 to help transform an unused area of their school's grounds into an amazing outdoor learning space thanks to the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson. 

Treemendous, a joint initiative between the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson, teaches children about the importance of caring for the environment through the development of amazing outdoor learning spaces that help teachers and students alike to reconnect with nature.

David Hodge, managing director of Mazda New Zealand and chairman of the Mazda Foundation, says, "I’m so excited to see the creative ideas schools around New Zealand come up with this year and I can’t wait to get stuck in and start making those ideas a reality in 2020" 

“We’ve been doing this for over ten years now and every year I am still blown away by the passion both students and teachers have for protecting the environment," he says. 

Over the past 11 years, the Mazda Foundation and Project Crimson have worked with 44 schools from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South, digging over 32,000 holes to plant natives, trees, shrubs and other plants and cooking 13,000 sausages for local communities.

What do the winning schools get? 

From native bushwalks and interactive learning zones to ladybird motels and weta homes, the Treemendous team will work closely with the winning schools to help create a vision for their outdoor learning area and a planting programme that suits the school environment.

Winning schools will also get a visit from Ruud ‘The Bugman’ Kleinpaste, pictured above, ahead of their event, who will talk to the whole school about bugs and how they help us along with the importance of caring for our natural environment.

The initiative has brought communities together, with thousands of volunteers across the country joining forces to help enhance the learning environments of their local primary and intermediate schools.

All Primary and Intermediate Schools in New Zealand can apply to become a Treemendous school.

Finalists will receive $500 for their school and the four winning schools will receive a $10,000 Treemendous event.

The ten finalists will be announced at the end of July.  

Please visit: http://treemendous.org.nz/ for more information.