Local wildlife, flora and fauna, landmarks and legends have all been acknowledged as part of a vibrant new artwork revealed at a small rural Northland school recently. 

Tangiteroria School, located halfway between Whangārei and Dargaville, was a hive of activity last month, after unveiling its new nature-inspired mural, ‘Echo of Te Taiao’. 

The mural was the culmination of extensive work by students, teachers and local artists, who took part in the kaupapa led by renowned Northland artists, Faith McManus and David Sarich. 

Over the course of the project, students engaged in nature walks where they observed local flora and fauna to inspire their artwork and learned artistic techniques such as perspective, painting, printing, and sketching.  

For the first part of the project the students focused on printmaking techniques like lino printing, relief printing, and mono-printing, with the final part dedicated to mural painting and collaborating on ideas and original pictures to illustrate the school’s environment. 

Tangiteroria School teacher Eden Hakaraia said the goal behind the kaupapa had been to create something that reflected the school’s commitment to quality education and environmental values, like kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (caring). 

Under the guidance of McManus and Sarich, she said the mural had grown to become a ‘vibrant representation of the school’s culture and environment’ and were incredibly grateful for their time. 

“Every time you look at it, you notice new details,” Eden said.  

“The mural includes taonga (treasure) such as the longfin tuna, while the conch shell represents the school’s name and adds to the mural’s intricate details.  

“There’s even a pest trap in there as we’re avid trappers of pests and kingfishers feeding on the water, which indicates good quality water.” 

Eden said the mural also featured images reflecting the history of the local area, like the iconic flax mills. 

It also incorporated local legends and the significance of kowhai flowers, which usually signalled the start of the whitebait season.  

“Not only are the children learning about art and printmaking, but they’re also learning about the whenua, the mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and how everything is intertwined.”  

Tangiteroria School’s dedication to environmental education is further highlighted by its commitment to the Enviroschools kaupapa. The Enviroschools Programme involves tamariki connecting with and exploring the environment, then planning, designing and taking action in their local places in collaboration with their communities.  

Enviroschools also aims to uplift the well-being of the whole school, community, and ecosystem, while learning how society and the economy can be nourished through the natural systems that give us life. 

Tangiteroria School won the 2022 Environmental Action in Education section of the NRC Environmental Awards, thanks to the school’s sophisticated programme of environmental action to empower students to care for their natural world and to teach others to do the same.

With the mural now complete, Eden said it had continued to inspire students, who recently wrote haiku about the various elements of the ngahere (forest) featured in the artwork.  

She said while it might feel like the end, there were more plans to expand on the project, which was just the beginning of their commitment to environmental stewardship.