Glendene School and Tirimoana School meet the streams in their backyards
Our Nature Days focus on connecting tamariki to their local stream and helping them understand, respect and care for the natural environment that is their backyard.
Glendene School at Glendene Reserve
On Thursday 8th May, students from Glendene School walked to Glendene Reserve for a Nature Day with Whau the People and Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust. Glendene Reserve is a hidden gem tucked within the suburb of Glendene, West Auckland. It has a stream that runs to the Whau River and is an easy ten minute walk from Glendene School.
Most of us live locally and some have been here, but not many of us has had the opportunity to go down to the stream.
Valuaki Taylor, Teacher
The morning had both creative and discovery elements, with students being part of both an art activity and a stream investigation. Along the way, they were introduced to new environmental vocabulary such as forage, nitrate, and ammonia, expanding both their language and understanding of freshwater ecosystems. Highlights from student feedback included “I enjoyed the way the event was structured—half the class doing art, half exploring the stream” and “I learned that human excrement could be in our streams!”
Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust scientists shared their water quality monitoring tricks and the students learnt that not all water that looks clean is clean! Whau the People artists led the creation of natural artworks that students could take home.
Tirimoana School at Divich Reserve
The following Tuesday, students from Tirimoana also experienced a Nature Day, near their local stream in Divich Reserve. The art activity, organised by Whau the People, used materials found in local bush to paint.
It was quite challenging for them—it wasn’t like using a paintbrush, which they’re more familiar with. So that part was a bit tricky. And some of them are perfectionists, so the results didn’t always turn out the way they expected. But it was really sweet—they enjoyed it. I think they liked that they got to take a piece home with them. That’s always a highlight, when they get to bring something back.
Miriana Christiansen, Teacher
Wendy Liddell recalled her daily walk to school at St Mary’s Avondale as a child growing up in New Lynn. She remembered that each morning, she would cross the bridge over the Whau River, pausing to peer down at the water below. What she saw always filled her with sadness—rubbish floating where there should have been clear, flowing water.
“Why would you take a beautiful river and destroy it by throwing all your rubbish in it, when you could just keep your rubbish and put it somewhere else?”
Wendy’s early experience sparked a lasting awareness of environmental care and a deep connection to the Whau, a river she has known—and quietly defended—for most of her life. We hope the kids who are connecting their local streams today will feel the same sense of pride for their waterways.
Glendene School Photo Gallery
Tirimoana School Photo Gallery
What next?
The Te Whau Pathway Project hopes to continue offering these opportunities to connect young people with their local streams, and teaching environmental stewardship in education outside the classroom.
With continued collaboration and support from generous funders, our initiatives like this can grow, helping more schools and local groups experience the Whau River in a new way — learning how to monitor water quality with a shared purpose of kaitiakitanga.
About this event
| Date | Thursday 8th May 2025, Tuesday 13th May 2025 |
| Location | Glendene and Divich Reserves |
| Type | Awa Connection Day, Nature Day, Water Quality Monitoring |
| Who | Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, Whau the People |
| Schools | Glendene School, Tirimoana School |
| Funders | Te Whau Pathway Project |
