Unitec Community Celebrates World Environment Day

^{07 June 2012}

On June 5, World Environment Day, Unitec launched it's Wairaka Stream Restoration programme.

On 5 June, 2012 individuals and organisations worldwide celebrated sustainability for the internationally recognised, Environment Day.

Unitec Chief Executive Dr Rick Ede announced that Unitec had signed the United Nations Commitment to Sustainable Practices of Higher Education Institutions, making it the first New Zealand tertiary institution to do so. Dr Ede believes there is a strong alignment between the United Nations commitment and the sustainability strategy that Unitec has been developing over the last three years.

Hundreds of students, staff and community members gathered on Tuesday at the Wairaka Stream, which runs throughout the Unitec campus, to participate in a Tree Planting Event.The tree planting was the first stage of Unitec's Wairaka Stream Restoration Project. Unitec staff and students joined the Friends of Oakley Creek, Waterview Primary students and MIT students, to plant over 2,000 trees. The planting will help create more shade and lower water temperatures providing a much better habitat for the many species that call this area home.

With over 55 hectares of park like grounds, more than 2,000 established trees and Wairaka Stream, Unitec’s Mt Albert campus is uniquely positioned to provide a flourishing habitat for native flora and fauna in an Auckland suburb with one of the lowest levels of green space. Increasing the biodiversity of its campuses and contributing to the other local organisations already leading change in this area, is a core part of Unitec’s commitment to sustainable practices.

To find out more about this and other projects currently being undertaken at Unitec, visit www.eco.unitec.ac.nz.