The Manawahe Ecological Community Centre has been buzzing with students since week 2 of the school term.

Whakatane Intermediate school have taken on an exciting project. All 20 of the school classes are visiting for a day to learn about the importance of protecting our birds and bush and why we need to be doing pest control. Each class is making 8 rat traps to take back to their school to set up an extensive backyard trapping programme around the Awatapu Lagoon and the Riverside drive river bank area. The students will learn how to monitor a trap line, and then become responsible for their trap line and input the data. This is a major step towards that end of Whakatane becoming rat free.

Otakiri school have also had all of their Senior classes up at the centre, doing a bird focused day with a visit to the Matata lagoon and the Kokako block. We are looking at getting a local learning project happening with the school, where the school takes on a tree planting project and trapping programme. A journey from Manawahe to Otakiri is proposed for the year 7 and 8 classes.

Following the fire at Apanui school the Manawahe Eco Trust offered a free programme and a local bus company a free bus. Four classes are able to head to the centre for a fun day out.

It is nice to have so many students visit and experience Manawahe.