TMBC has teamed up with PiPS (People and Plants in Schools) to establish sentinel gardens at several primary schools across Mt Maunganui and Papamoa.
PiPS is an Incorporated Society formed to support the garden programmes of our member schools by employing Garden Facilitators to help volunteers and staff run their school gardens and other environmentally-based, student focussed projects within the school, gardening to organic principles and with respect for tikanga Māori.
The children at the seven schools will monitor these gardens for insects and learn what to do if they spot an invasive pest. Establishing the sentinel gardens as part of the wider programme strengthens their value as a learning tool to help our tamariki understand the important role we can all play in protecting New Zealand from invasive pests and diseases.