Times to apply for Enviroschools’ Taiwahiti Action Funding

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1301" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;03&sol;enviro&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"enviro 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>Applications are now open for the 2015 Enviroschools&&num;8217&semi; Taiwahiti Action Fund&comma; with the funds being made available by Eastland Port for &&num;8220&semi;student-led action projects&&num;8221&semi;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Each year&comma; the port contributes &dollar;3000 and Tairawhiti Enviroschools &dollar;1000 to make up a total funding pool of &dollar;4000&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Eastland Port general manager&comma; Andrew Gaddum&comma; says the sponsorship partnership reflects the port&&num;8217&semi;s ongoing commitment to the local environment as well as to the local economy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It&&num;8217&semi;s been exciting to see the projects completed by schools who received funding last year&period; Makaraka School wanted to enhance their learning edge garden with a student-designed sign so everyone would know what the school area and name means&period; They were able to install the sign with the help of money from the Action Fund&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Waikirikiri School students built and installed planter boxes&comma; and at Te Wharau the kids assembled and installed a new bike rack area&period; Eastland Port continues to donate bark to schools too&comma; but the Action Fund is a more tangible and fulfilling way for us to give back to the community in which we operate&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Among the other projects completed in 2014 were a stone pathway into the nature garden at Ormond School and a bee-friendly garden at Matawai School&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Schools wishing to apply to the fund must be part of the Enviroschools programme&comma; and need to have their applications in by April 1&comma; 2015&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Regional Enviroschools coordinator from Gisborne District Council&comma; Anne Lister&comma; says applications must state how individual projects relate to one or more of Enviroschools&&num;8217&semi; guiding principles&period; Schools are also asked to consider various criteria such as how their projects might contribute to reducing pressure on infrastructure such as water reticulation&comma; stormwater networks&comma; landfills and roading networks or minimising negative impacts on the environment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;