Little ocean warriors

Champions of sustainability, Nanuku Resort celebrated World Ocean Day by introducing students of the Pacific Harbour Multicultural School to their on-site coral and mangrove planting initiatives in the hopes of encouraging the next generation of ocean warriors and environmental activists.

Fourteen year 7 and 8 students from the school, accompanied by their principal, visited the resort for half a day of activities, including a beach clean-up and practical learning about coral and mangrove planting led by the resort’s sustainability manager and resident marine scientist Kelly-Dawn Bentley.

The program was part of Nanuku Resort’s Batiwai Project. A sustainability project resting on three pillars; culture, people, and the environment.

As part of the project Ms Bentley occasionally visits schools and corporations to educate and raise awareness about environmentally friendly practices.

The 14 children engaged with the event had just learned about coral as part of their school curriculum and were eager for a hands-on lesson in the use of coral tables, cement ‘cookies’, and the resort’s new rope nursery for coral.

Assisting with the activities, sustainability officer Seremaia Delana who formerly worked at the resort’s ‘Kids Club’ said, “Here, we witness the effects of global warming every day. And as the saying goes, we cannot bend a tree once it’s fully grown. So, it’s a great thing to be able to educate the children and teach them the effects of environmental damage.”

School principal Taina Dinati said she was glad to have the students engaged in sustainable practices from an early and that this supported the school’s vision to raise a generation that understands and appreciates the significance of the ocean.

Nanuku Resort general manager Logan Miller said, “One of the most important things with all of our efforts is that as much as we want to contribute to the environment, we also want to involve the community and do things that are beneficial for our area.”

The resort replants the coral and mangroves from their nursery to the surrounding sea and has seen a significant increase in marine life in the area since the start of the coral project in 2017. |