Group wins cash and camera

Kids Greening Taupo¯ has received both a financial and a photographic boost, becoming the recipients of a Canon Oceania grant.

Canon representatives visited Waipa¯h¯ıh¯ı School last week to present $1000 in cash and $4000 worth of Canon products including cameras, lenses and video cameras to Kids Greening Taupo¯ .

Kids Greening Taupo¯ education co-ordinator Sian Moffitt says it’ll be amazing to have the opportunity to teach the kids about photography.

“We applied for the grant at the beginning of the year. The grant has three divisions, education, community, and environment — we won the education section.”

Sian’s colleague and fellow Kids Greening Taupo¯ co-ordinator Thea DePetris agrees, saying the timing couldn’t have been better.

Thea says Sian is an amazing photographer so the equipment will be put to great use by her as well as the kids.

Canon chief executive Kim Conner handed the prizes over to the Kids Greening Taupo¯ Rangers at Waipa¯h¯ıh¯ı School.

She says when it comes to picking a winner, the company picks the finalists but the public picks the winners. She says Kids Greening Taupo¯ were selected because of the way they give back to the community and help all the schools around town instead of just focusing on one.

Kim says it’s amazing to see the difference in children these days compared to the past.

“At schools in the past kids were taught to set up gardens and make compost. Nowadays kids are taught to really understand the environment around them and to care for the flora and fauna.”

Four Waipa¯h¯ıh¯ı students talked about what they loved most about being Kids Greening Taupo¯ rangers.

Isabella Squire says getting outdoors to save the animals is the best part.

Kaiah Bosshart says, “I like helping nature from pests.”

“I like to be involved in all the activities,” says Phoenix Percy.

Douglas Rennie says the best part is being able to leave classes to go outside to do cool stuff.

Kim Conner says Canon wants to stay in the spirit of their philosophy Kyosei, meaning living and working together for the common good.

Sian Moffitt says they’re lucky in Taupo¯ to have a network of supporters, both in the community which voted for Kids Greening Taupo¯ and to Canon.

Canon New Zealand chief executive Kim Conner (left) presenting the Canon Oceania grant and products to Kids Greening Taupo¯ ranger Kaiah Bosshart at Waipa¯ hı¯hı¯ School.

Photos / Kate Drinnan Kids Greening Taupo¯ rangers (from left) Douglas Rennie, Kaiah Bosshart, Isabella Squire and Phoenix Percy.