Growing Gardeners

Book Launch

Verran Primary School

19 August 2008

Author Dee Pigneguy

The Growing Gardeners launch was a Greendrinks event jointly hosted by Papawai Press and Verran Primary School, a wonderful Enviroschool on Auckland's North Shore.

Verran Primary won the National Green Gold Environmental Award two years ago. Led by the students, the school - students, staff and parents - and the local community are working at establishing sustainable systems within the school.

Dee Pigneguy, author of Growing Gardeners, worked with the school and photos of the students in the Verran Primary School gardens are found throughout the book.

The launch began with tours of the gardens as guests arrived, followed by refreshments and formalities in the school hall..

Papawai Press and the Verran Primary School community were joined at the launched by many Greendrinks attendees  from around the Auckland region all of whom work in environmental education. 

Our special guest, the Honorable Chris Carter, Minster for Education, and previously Minister for Conservation - a self-professed gardening enthusiast - took a tour of the school gardens before speaking to the approximately 130 people gathered for the launch about the importance of enviroschools, and gardening for a sustainable future.

Dee paid tribute to the involvement of Verran Primary School in producing the book, particularly the children with whom she worked in the gardens at the school, Maureen Robertson, Verran's Environmental Education Co-ordinator, and Principal Jeanette Dunning.

The event was supported by Kate Jackson from the NZ Association of Environmental Educators;  PureFresh Organics who supplied fresh, organic fruit and vegetables; Phoenix Organics who supplied fruit juices; and the North Shore City Council.

The Hon. Chris Carter, Minister

for Education.

Dee Pigneguy and Maureen

Robertson, Environmental

Education Co-ordinator at 

Verran Primary School

Dee Pigneguy and Chris Carter