01 May 2009

Keen students win spot at eco-forum

Three Hawke's Bay students on a mission to clean up regional waterways are taking a trip to Wellington for the Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum next week.

Katie Jenssen, 17, from Sacred Heart College, Ngawai Huriwai, 15 from St Joseph's Maori Girls College, and Victoria Tatum, 17, from Iona College, were selected after they wrote about waterways in their forum applications to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

Katie wrote a report on Karamu Stream, Ngawai chose Tutaekuri River and Victoria the Tukituki River.

Katie said she was worried about people dumping rubbish such as tyres in Karamu Stream which flows between Hastings and Havelock North.

"Some people don't realise how much it affects the environment and the ecosystem."

Katie is planning to join organised groups that head out regularly to clean up the stream. She said she thought it would be possible to restore the stream to a natural state, but it would take a lot of work.

The Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum is just the latest in a string of environment focused activities that Katie has been involved in.

Her interest in aquatic life led her to take on a volunteer job at the Napier's National Aquarium, where she particularly likes the stingray tank.

She and Victoria are members of the Hawke's Bay Youth Environment Council.

"We work with secondary schools on things like food recycling - composting, worm farms and so on," Katie said.

The Dominion Post 17/04/09