Resene Wall Worthy Competition

Balmoral School Eco-Warriors, Auckland

Uniquely New Zealand

This mural design is celebrating the unique biodiversity we have here in Aotearoa with our native flora and fauna. We are learning in the Eco-Warriors at school that a reduction in biodiversity is one of the top five environmental crisis currently facing New Zealand. Focusing on birds, the tui is large in the center rising up into the sky singing. It creates an uplifting feeling making us think of the tui’s call that as New Zealanders we all know and love. Helping people fall in love with nature encourages them to look after it. There is a small sign telling us dogs are not allowed and that they can kill Kiwi. This makes us think about all predators that are a threat to our biodiversity here in New Zealand.

Creative Corner Early Learning Centre, Timaru

Poipoia te kākano kia puawai

Poipoia te kākano kia puawai – Nurture the seed and it will bloom.

This mural has a double meaning – As we are an early childhood centre, we know that the first 1000 days are very important – We are laying the foundations for the rest of their lives. This artwork shows tamariki of various ages involved in planting and nurturing new growth, and then towards the right the greenery grows larger, just as we as kaiako nurture and encourage our tamariki to grow to their full potential.

This mural design includes a Kākā (endangered) and Pūkeko (protected). These manu also represent the different rooms at Creative Corner (Kākā – the under 2 room, Pūkeko – over 2’s). It also includes some views of the ocean and a cabbage tree which are both an integral part of Timaru’s history, scenery, and our day to day lives. It also features a kowhai tree for a pop of colour but also is said to symbolise personal growth.

We would love to instill a sense of responsibility and aroha in our tamariki before they leave for school, with the hope that they will develop a lifelong love for our beautiful New Zealand environment.

Glamorgan School, Auckland

Whaia te iti kahurangi

Our mural celebrates our local environment. Waiake is our local beach and is where the children learn about our coastal environment. The pohutukawas, kowhai trees and butterflies can all be found on our school grounds. The caterpillar as it transforms into a beautiful butterfly mirrors the journey each child at our school takes and how they too can make small changes to reach for the stars and change the world.

The inspiration for this mural came from a quote by Harriet Tubman: ‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world’.

The environmental message we have tried to portray is, if you change one thing, you can change everything, just like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly.

Kaipara Flats Primary School, Warkworth

Kaitiakitanga o Kaipara Flats

Our design reflects one of our school values:  Respecting our environment. It shows a seed sowed and how that transforms into a tree providing biodiversity and sustainability with new growth shown to continue the cycle of regeneration.

Monte Cecilia Catholic School, Auckland

We are Kaitiaki

At our school we take our responsibility of Kaitiaki (guardians) of our earth very seriously, not only for ourselves, but for generations to come.

Our students and whānau are involved in our aim to limit rubbish and recycle extensively for the protection of our whenua, native birds, plants and ocean life. 

Our mural design incorporates these key images that surround us – as they surround the wording.

We are connected to our whenua and it it is our job to take care of it. The mural is a celebration of the privilege we have to share our space with all of God’s living creation.

Okato Playcentre, Okato

Mana Whenua – Belonging

Kaitiakitanga – teaching our Tamariki, in a fun way, that conservation and protection of the land, the sea and their local awa (river) is of huge importance for our collective Wairau.

Our Whakatauki of choice ( Māori words of wisdom) is about teaching our tamariki to be kaitiaki for our local environment. ‘Toitu te marae e Tane, Toitu te marae a Tangaroa, Toitu te iwi’ If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive.

Our hope is that this art will brighten our community and that it will be the first thing our Ōkato Playcentre Whānau see as they arrive for their session. That they immediately feel a sense of belonging. When we feel a strong sense of belonging to our environment, we endeavor to look after our taonga (treasure).

Oranga School, Auckland

The Heart of the Forest

The mural celebrates New Zealand’s unique biodiversity and the students hope for conserving and restoring native species. The mural represents New Zealand forest before the introduction of predators. In the mural you can see native animals and plants. Many on the plants and animals have been drawn on adjacent panels to represent the connectedness of everything in the environment.

In one students words “Please bring back the New Zealand my ancestors once knew”

Papatoetoe West School, Auckland

Kaitiaki o Papa Kohoura

Our entry celebrates the Kaitiakitanga of Papatoetoe West as the Kaitiaki for  Kohuora Park. The Kaitiaki feathers each show a pattern from the different cultures at Papatoetoe West as well as Maori designs. The quote reflects the mahi we have done since adopting the park. The planting of native trees that help attract native birds creating biodiverse systems and establishing breeding grounds for our native birds.  The cleaning of rubbish which is undertaken from our early entrants in Te Kakano to our seniors. Teaching our students the importance of looking after our environment and community. Kohuora Park is a restored crater wetland and is an important ecosystem for water quality and also flooding and plays a crucial role combating climate change.

Tangiteroria School, Tangiteroria

Te Whare Tapa Wha

We celebrate our sustainability and our biodiversity regularly as we have a wonderful environmental educational programme at school. This mural reflects our learning which includes Te Whare Tapa Wha and within that is our Enviroschool kaupapa.

This environmental message is around our well-being, whanau, spirituality and physical health. We do a lot of this through learning in our environment.

Waihī Beach School, Waihī Beach

Wai Ora | Healthy waters

Our kura has recently joined KNZB as an educational branch and see that wai | water is the life force that sustains our whenua | land and our tangata | people. It includes conservation, looking after and supporting the flora and fauna. It includes biodiversity, the interacting earth/water systems that all work together to sustain life. It includes sustainability and climate change, making us aware of our fragility in our environment and our survival in the future, showing us the importance of what we need to protect. Our tuna are an indicator of how healthy our waters are, and is a native species that requires freshwater and saltwater to survive, making it critically important to look after all of our water systems.

Toitu te marae a Tāne, Toitu te marae a Tangaroa, Toitu te iwi

If the land and sea are well, then so too, are the people.