Environmental Awards

2007 award winners

A Kawerau reserve volunteer, a kiwi protection community group and a school programme on the Rotorua Lakes are among this year’s winners of the Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Awards.

The awards ceremony, held in Tauranga on Thursday 13 December, recognised people, community groups, educational programmes and businesses for their contribution to the Bay of Plenty environment.

The council received 31 entries for the awards from across the Bay of Plenty. Environment Bay of Plenty chairman, John Cronin, said the awards highlight the will in the community to celebrate and enhance our environment.

”It's fantastic to see people and organisations in our communities making such a positive difference to the environment,” he said.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO DOWNLOAD HIGH RESOLUTION VERSIONS. Image size is found next to the caption.

Winner

John Brierley (pictured) – for excellent community involvement and voluntary work on the Monica Lanham Reserve (high resolution picture: 3.7MB)

Highly commended

Barbara Collis – for great work establishing a wetland, enhancing biodiversity and supporting sustainability.

Bill Clark – for the time and effort put into developing a wetland that now hosts native plants, birds and fish.

Commended

Neil Overend – for exceptional voluntary effort at the Bay of Plenty eDays.

Selwyn Hutchings – for leading the Osprey Reserve Care Group in weed control and lifting its profile.

Winner

Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust (pictured: David Edwards, Mark Dean, Des Heke-Kaiawha) – for excellent ongoing work in kiwi monitoring and pest control and the vision to develop and educational visitor centre (high resolution image: 2.8MB)

Highly commended

Awahou Care Group – for leading a successful community project and dedication to the restoration of the Awahou Stream.

Special Award

Bangladeshi Community (pictured: Zahirul Alam, Syed Sirajul Islam, Shafi) – For the efforts with social sustainability in the Bangladeshi and wider community (high resolution image: 2.9MB).

Winner

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rotoiti (pictured: Kewe Marks, Hawea Vercoe) – for excellent work teaching students about the principles of stewardship and encouraging sustainability through prevention, restoration and recycling (high resolution image: 2.9MB)

Highly commended

Tauranga Girls College – for the school-wide initiative to promote paper and cardboard recycling and plans for expansion of this project.

Winner

Fulton Hogan Bay of Plenty (pictured: Keith Campbell, Mark Stirton, Hendrick Metz) – for considering the environment and the community by using innovative construction practices on the Harbour Link Project (high resolution image: 3.6MB) 

Print Winner

Jim Robinson (pictured) – for promoting the Bay of Plenty’s environmental issues at a national level (high resolution image: 2.7MB)

Highly commended

Kathleen Walsh, Opotiki News – for highlighting the Opotiki community’s involvement in environmental projects

Mark Dawson, Whakatane Beacon – for building awareness of global issues at a community level

Radio Winner

Monica Holt, Radio New Zealand (pictured) – For raising environmental awareness through radio (high resolution image: 3MB)