Papa Taiao - West Coast

24/08/2026

What a wonderful week for all ākonga participating in Papa Taiao courses🌿🐦

Our pest control team headed out to meet the awesome Sam and Lora from Predator Free Te Kinga and learn more about the incredible work they’re doing along one of the trapping lines around the mount. The birdsong, bush and stream made for a beautiful setting. Thank you so much, Sam and Lora, for such a great day of learning!

The Trees for Change NZ team joined the Grey District Youth Trust Night Market — and what an amazing, talented group of young people we have here in Te Tai o Poutini! 🙌 A huge thank you to everyone who supported the event, including those who picked up students locally eco-sourced, self-grown native plants. 🌱

And finally, a big shout-out to the students from Darfield High School who joined one of our predator control short courses, and to Bronnie from the Craigieburn Trapping Alliance Canterbury who gave up her time to show ākonga some of their mahi near Castle Hill. Snow, native mistletoe, kārearea and other manu, trap building, possums and plenty of time connecting with te taiao made for a brilliant overnight camp full of learning and success.

A huge thank you to everyone who continues to support our mahi and help us learn, connect and care for te taiao together. 💚🌿

If you want to get involved with any of our courses then just get in touch or sign up via the West Coast Trades Academy ! Enrollments are open, and we can't wait to see what other awesome adventures next year brings.

Greymouth High School Westland High School Hokitika Buller High School John Paul II High School, Greymouth Karamea Area School South Westland Area School Reefton Area School Department of Conservation Greymouth Rotary Development West Coast West Coast Regional Council Tai Poutini Polytechnic

20/08/2026

It's looking like a damp weekend so why not head down to the Youth Market Night at Greymouth Regent Theatre this Saturday! Trees for Change NZ will be selling a range of their own grown, eco-sourced plants.
Cash or bank transfer available.
See you there!🌳🌴🌳🌴🌳
Grey District Youth Trust
Papa Taiao
West Coast Trades Academy

19/08/2026

Awesome courses, awesome people, awesome futures! 🫶 spread the word, and get in touch if you want any more information about our Papa Taiao programmes 💚

15/08/2026

Exciting stuff all! Expressions of interest are open, so if you want the opportunity to learn and devlop skills in Nursery Production🌳, Pest Control🐀 or Environmental Tourism🌏, then it is time to sign up! 👀💚🙌

If you are interested in finding out more about the Papa Taiao courses we are offering through the West Coast Trades Academy next year, then please get on touch.

We can't wait to see you all in 2027!😁

🎉🎉 WE ARE LIVE! APPLY ON LINE !🎉🎉

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR 2027 WEST COAST TRADES ACADEMY PLACES ARE OPEN NOW!

If you're going into Year 11, 12, 13 OR 14 in 2027 and want to combine school with practical, hands-on learning, now is the time to explore your options.

🔨 Trades
🚜 Civil & machinery
💻 Technology
🌿 Environment
🏔️ Outdoors
🧸 Early Childhood Education
☕ Hospitality
✂️ Hairdressing
🚑 Emergency & Uniformed ServiceS
…and much more!

👉 Head to www.wcta.ac.nz to explore the 2027 programmes and submit your Expression of Interest.

Not sure which programme is right for you?

Talk to your school Trades Academy Coordinator or Careers Advisor, or come and see Tania Jones when WCTA visits your school during Term 3.

🚨 REMEMBER: IF YOU DON'T SUBMIT AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST, YOU WILL NOT GET A 2027 WCTA PLACE.

Don't miss out. Get your EOI in!

12/08/2026

Woo hoo! Get signed up people!

⏰ THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! ⏰

🎉 2027 WEST COAST TRADES ACADEMY EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST OPEN THIS FRIDAY – 14th AUGUST!🎉

We have an awesome selection lined up for 2027, including FIVE exciting new course options!

🆕 NEW FOR 2027:

🔨 Carpentry - Level 3
🏗️ West Coast Industry Ready - Level 3
🧸 Early Childhood Education - Level 3
🏔️ Outdoor Adventure Skills West Coast - Level 2
🌿 Environmental Tourism West Coast - Level 2 & 3

PLUS:

🔨 Carpentry - Level 2
🚜 Trades Digger School - Level 2
🚗 Mechanics - Level 2
⚙️ Engineering - Level 2
💻 Computer Programming and AI - Level 2 & 3
👨‍🍳 Cheffing and Bakery - Level 2
☕ Café Skills - Level 2
✂️ Hairdressing - Level 2
🌱 Conservation & Earthcare – Pest Control - Level 2 & 3
🌿 Conservation & Earthcare – Nursery Production - Level 2 & 3
🗣️ Manaaki Tāpoi - Level 2 & 3
🏔️ Adventure Tourism Leadership - Level 2 & 3
🌟 Employment and Life Skills
🚓 Uniformed Services - Level 2
🚑 Outdoor Emergency Response - Level 3

WCTA gives secondary school students the chance to develop practical, industry-focused skills and gain valuable experience while they are still at school – with no course fees.

🚐 Fully funded transport support is also provided to help students access their programmes.

Our WCTA team will be visiting West Coast schools during Term 3 to talk with upcoming Year 11, 12 and 13 students about their options for 2027.

🚨 IMPORTANT: If you want a Trades Academy place in 2027, you MUST submit an Expression of Interest. No EOI = no place.

Expressions of Interest open THIS FRIDAY!

🌐 www.wcta.ac.nz
📧 [email protected]

Tai Poutini Polytechnic Greymouth High School John Paul II High School, Greymouth Westland High School Hokitika South Westland Area School Reefton Area School Buller High School Karamea Area School Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - The Correspondence School Whenua Iti Outdoors Papa Taiao - West Coast

27/07/2026

🫶

Students from Papa Taiao and the West Coast Trades Academy joined forces on 24 July for a hands-on conservation project that brought together education, industry, and community expertise to build 20 kea-safe predator traps destined for conservation projects across the region.

24/07/2026

Couldn't put it better - what an outstanding day indeed! Proud kaiako!🥹

Watch this space for a more detailed run down of today thanks to Zak Shaw Development West Coast , Glen from The Paparoa Wildlife Trust , Sam and Sue West Coast Regional Council and Predator Free Te Kinga , Annabell, Darren and John for hosting Tai Poutini Polytechnic , all Papa Taiao and West Coast Trades Academy ākonga, Tania, and all other supporters who came along today, including the Paparoa Ultra for supporting with materials.

We had an absolutely superb day, with 20 perfectly crafted traps now built and ready to be deployed into the field to help protect te taiao. This is what collaboration, community, and conservation are all about - sharing skills, knowledge and passion.

What a great start to Term 3! Fancy joining us next year? Check out the Papa Taiao programmes through West Coast Trades Academy.

Ngā mihi maioha to all. Ka pai!

South Westland Area School Buller High School Greymouth High School Westland High School Hokitika Karamea Area School Reefton Area School John Paul II High School, Greymouth Department of Conservation Predator Free New Zealand Trust

03/07/2026

The last week of term 2 has disappeared in a flash, but Papa Taiao ākonga continue to shine like the stars of Matariki 🌟⭐️🌟

The nursery production team headed to Atarau kiwi creche and, despite some end of term sickness creeping in, planted over 140 trees to help restore native bush for the manu. Ka pai team, especially to Alex, Jordan, Lincoln and Ace who were also under assessment!🌳🌳🌳

Glen was fantastic, sharing lots of information about kiwi and the incredible work the Paparoa Wildlife Trust does. He demonstrated how kiwi chicks are tracked in the creche, and gave students the chance to see a kiwi egg, and answered plenty of questions.

A huge aroha nui to Glen and Jo and The Paparoa Wildlife Trust for supporting our rangatahi and creating these opportunities to learn while helping te taiao.🙏

To all Papa Taiao ākonga, have a safe and restful break. Take time to reflect on all you have achieved this term, be grateful for all that have supported us from whānau, schools and kaiako, Tania at West Coast Trades Academy, and our community. We look forward to seeing you again next term! Noho ora mai💚

The Paparoa Wildlife Trust Greymouth High School John Paul II High School, Greymouth
Greymouth Rotary Westland High School Hokitika South Westland Area School Reefton Area School Karamea Area School Buller High School

01/07/2026

Should you give West Coast Trades Academy a go? Absolutely 💯% YES!

Take it from our students at Papa Taiao Earthcare, and 'just do it!' 🤙👊🙌

15/05/2026

💛🌞 Sun's out, and ākonga are shining! 🌞💛

After some wild and wet weather last week, Papa Taiao students were grateful to get back outdoors and made the most of the beautiful days we have had.

Nursery production projects are on track, pest control work plans are busy, and students on both courses tackled some problem predators to our native flora and fauna — invasive slugs and snails in the case of the nursery, and destructive rats and stoats out in the bush.

9 rats and 1 stoat were removed from one site from the last fortnight alone! 🐀🐀
As for the gastropods (Greek for slugs/snails and meaning 'stomach foot!'), there should be some well fed birds at the nursery site 🐌🐌

Ka pai team! Enjoy this beautiful weekend and the glorious rohe we live in🙏 ka kite

West Coast Trades Academy Greymouth High School South Westland Area School John Paul II High School, Greymouth Karamea Area School Westland High School Hokitika Buller High School Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu - The Correspondence School Greymouth Rotary