Each year, Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) host the Beautiful Awards. As a branch of KNZB, the Trust has the privilege of nominating passionate, empowered community groups and individuals for the awards. MBCT supports a variety of groups and organisations with sustainable practices on their minds and a drive to care for our environment in their hearts.
The Trust are ecstatic to announce two successful nominations for the 2020 awards! Congratulations to Katherine Clayton, for being one of two winners of the Local Hero Award, and to the Tararata Stream Team for being selected as a finalist for the Community Environmental Initiative Award! We thought their dedication and outstanding contributions to their communities deserved recognition and seemingly, so did KNZB.
Katherine Clayton is the epitome of an inspirational role model and sustainability champion. For many years she has gifted her time to help maintain the public spaces in the Hunua Ranges and has now begun voluntarily adopting her local bush area in Totara Heights, with the support of her empowered group, the Totara Heights Bush Guardians (THBG).
Currently, the bush areas of Totara Heights are suffocated by pest plants and litter. Katherine has nobly started to build awareness that this must change. She is on a mission to restore and protect her native bush backyard and is inspiring her local community and neighbours to do the same. With the support of Auckland Council and the Manurewa Local Board, along with her delicious baking for motivation; Katherine and the THBG regularly eradicate pest plants, remove litter and track pest animals in the bush areas close to their homes. They share the goal of enhancing the health of the bush, as well as the people who live, work and play there.
Image of members of the Totara Heights Bush Guardians removing Tradescantia in one of the bush reserves of Totara Heights.
If you’d like to connect with the THBG, check out their Facebook group.
From Manukau to Mangere; the Tararata Stream Team are on a similar mission!
MBCT admire the Tararata Stream Team’s energy and dedication they have for restoring the Tararata Stream in central Mangere. For many years, the team have been working selflessly to enrich and enhance the local waterway. With support from local community groups and Council organisations, they have established native plants on the banks of the stream, monitored the water quality and effectively provided a healthy habitat for native fish such as the Giant Kokopu and other whitebait to flourish. Their motto is why have a dirty drain when we could have a waterway to be proud of and enjoy.
The team also strive to encourage local people to become kaitiaki of their natural environment and build connection and motivation within the community to help take care of Papatuanuku. Their collaborative and hands-on approach plays tribute to their truly inspiring success story.
Image of the Tararata Stream Team in action, educating youth at MBCT's Mangere Bridge Town Centre Clean-up.
Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events and to connect with the team.
MBCT are ever-proud to support these two incredible initiatives and believe they are undoubtedly deserving of the Beautiful Awards they’ve been nominated for.
If you, your school, workplace, church or group would like support to care for your local space, in South Auckland, get in touch! We’d love to hear from you and discover how we can empower you on your sustainable, beautification journey.