Onewa Christian Community Eco Kids
Story and photos contributed by Nan Inkson and friends.
When Onewa Christian Community became an Eco Church, the Children’s Ministry Team decided that they would focus on eco-activities with the children, taking place regularly on the first Sunday each month. The theme is advertised and although our numbers are not huge they are increasing from about 3-4 children each time to 7-10 children. They all seem to have lots of fun, as well as learning about God’s creation and the environment, and what part they can play in helping it.
This year started with a ‘Water’ theme. Activities included making a weather cycle in a jar, creating giant bubbles and building a natural water filter. In March, some of the adult members of the congregation joined the children making beeswax wraps as an alternative to using plastic. Recycled materials in the form of many boxes of various sizes were the basis for magnificent forts and towers and learning about recycling. During a ‘Sea’ theme, amazing sculptures were created from sea trash, and the children learned about endangered sea creatures, and tried tasting seaweed.
One evening several children and adults took part in a guided night walk through Cecil Eady Bush. Participants reported, “It was a fabulous evening with food, walking and blacklight torch fun. We spotted luminescent lichen, sheetweb spiders, a centipede, fish in the stream and learned all sorts of wonderful things. Thank you to Edmund and Pest Free Kaipatiki for a great event.“
We hope that OCC Eco Kids will continue to flourish. Special thanks go to Kimberly for coordinating the programme, with support from Cathy, Sarah, Rev Jin Sook Kim, and the wider church community.
