12 April 1996 Sir Edmund urges environmental vigilance

New Zealand is not immune from environmental degradation and there is as much need for vigilance and action here as in the high profile polluted and degraded areas overseas.

That was one of the messages from New Zealand's best known mountaineer, Sir Edmund Hillary, to members of the 1996 Lincoln University EnviroSchool.

Sir Edmund has been Patron of the two-yearly EnviroSchools since they began in 1990 and in a video address he commended the young 6th and 7th formers from throughout New Zealand on devoting their time and energy to environmental matters through attending the Lincoln University vacation school.

This year 110 students took part in the week-long programme which covered lecture and laboratory sessions, field trips, workshops and discussions plus a day-long trip across the Canterbury Plains to Mount Somers Station and an afternoon in Christchurch city visiting the National Radiation Laboratory, the Bromley Sewage Treatment Works and the Antarctic Centre.

There were four lecture sessions, one for each of the full on-campus days. Session 1 was titled Planet Earth: its climate and resources, and it was chaired by Dr Bob Leonard of Lincoln's Department of Soil Science. Session 2, chaired by Dr Jonet Ward of Lincoln Ventures Ltd, was on The Role of Science In Understanding and Protecting the Environment. Session 3 was on the Environment of Aotearoa/New Zealand and Dr Leonard was again the chairperson. Session 4 was on Stewardship and Conservation and it was chaired by Dr Jacqueline Rowarth of the University's Department of Plant Science.

Guest speakers included Dr Matt McGlone of Landcare Research, on climate change; Tim Higham of the NZ Antarctic Programme, on the Antarctic environment; Dr Cheryl Brunton of the University of Otago, on human health and climate change; Mary Gardner of the University of Otago, on aspects of marine biology; Professor David Wilkinson of the University of Canterbury, on marine coastal issues; Paul Lupi of NZ Marine Farming Association, on marine aquaculture; and Roger Bates of BP New Zealand, major sponsors along with ECNZ.

Other sponsors were the Rotary Club of Lincoln, Rotary Clubs of New Zealand, Air New Zealand and the Federation of University Women.

The principal organisers of the school were Dr Graeme Buchan and Dr Bob Leonard of Lincoln’s Department of Soil Science and Betty Shore of the University's Centre for Continuing Education.

The Community Diary. Produced by The Community Relations Centre, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand