An Auckland school has been given an award for its environmental work which includes the creation of a traditional Maori healing garden.
Owairaka District School medicinal garden. Photo: RNZ
Owairaka District School has developed a range of gardens including the Rongoa Maori garden that is home to medicinal native plants.
The Mount Albert school has won the schools category of the Auckland Council's Sustainable Environment Awards recognising its efforts to create a sustainable school community.
The school's principal Diana Tregoweth says the Rongoa garden is a place for the students to learn about traditional Maori medicine.
She says students can research the different healing properties of the trees and plants such as kawakawa, tarata, manuka and harakeke or flax.
Ms Tregoweth says the school's other gardens include a vegetable garden which produces food for the students, a Zen garden and also a Pasifika garden.
She says the students are very proud of the gardens.
