Find environmental education resources

Educational resources to help students, teachers and communities contribute to the future wellbeing of the environment.

New Zealand Association of Environmental Education

The New Zealand Association of Environmental Education (NZAEE) - supports teachers and environmental education providers in Aotearoa with online catalogues of classroom resources, professional development, stories, providers and events. These can be filtered by education level, region, and context, to find what is most useful.

Resources from the Ministry of Education for schools

Education for sustainability- guidelines for schools and curriculum linked resources [The New Zealand Curriculum Online website].

Climate learning programme: Huringa Āhuarangi: whakareri mai kia haumaru āpōpō | Climate Change: prepare today, live well tomorrow - includes teaching resource and wellbeing guide [The New Zealand Curriculum Online website].

Pūtātara - a sustainability and global citizenship resource to support schools and teachers to develop learning opportunities that are place-based, inquiry-led and focused on participation for change.

Children exploring a waterway.

Action-based education programmes in English and Māori settings

Action-based education programmes in English and Māori settings where young people plan, design and implement sustainability projects and become catalysts for change within their whānau, and wider New Zealand community.

Both programmes engage with children, young people and their communities through the formal education system of early childhood education centres, kura, and primary and secondary schools.

Find out more on the Toimata Foundation website.

Environmental leadership programmes

Action-based education programmes focused on environmental awareness, care of the environment and leadership.

The Ministry for the Environment fund and co-develop BLAKE Inspire and BLAKE Inspire for teachers. These programmes are designed to support rangatahi and teachers develop as environmental leaders in their communities. 

Find out about these and other programmes on the Blake website

BLAKE Inspire 2021 6400

Image: Blake Inspire 2021

Environmental science education

  • Science Learning Hub links New Zealand scientists with school students, teachers and community. There are environment education resources and teacher professional development webinars.
  • NIWA – education resources and scientific data and tools for teachers and young people.
  • Antarctica New Zealand website – ideas for studying Antarctica.

Conservation and biodiversity education

  • Conservation education [Department of Conservation website] - curriculum linked activities and resources to support conservation teaching and learning.
  • Up the Creek [Department of Conservation website] - a website journey about biodiversity in waterways and accompanying teaching resources.
  • Kiwi Conservation Club website – stories and resources to connect children with New Zealand’s amazing wildlife and wild places.
  • Whitebait Connection – a national education programme of experiential learning about freshwater conservation.
  • Experiencing Marine Reserves – a national education programme of experiential learning about marine conservation.
  • Zealandia – curriculum linked activities and resources for use in the classroom or early childhood centres.
Tagging giant weta

Image: Josie Beruldsen

Climate change education

Waste minimisation education

  • Love Food Hate Waste has tips and recipes to help you reduce your food waste.
  • Para Kore delivers education and training on marae to create behaviour change that aligns with the principles of a circular economy.
  • Sustainable Coastlines support schools with three core programmes: Love Your Coast, Love Your Water and Litter Intelligence, to support reduction of waste in marine and freshwater environments.
  • Keep New Zealand Beautiful offers a variety of environmental education programmes for children of all ages to teach the importance of caring for and protecting our environment. Keep New Zealand Beautiful focuses on land-based litter interventions and encouraging New Zealanders to litter less.