The Love Your Place Awards are back for 2024! The awards celebrate volunteers, local community and conservation groups and schools making a difference for the environment in the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area.
The biennial awards are funded by the Waitākere Ranges Local Board and organised and hosted by EcoMatters Environment Trust.
“This is the fifth time we’ve held these awards, and we’re always inspired by the stories of local environmental champions working to help preserve this very special part of Tāmaki Makaurau,” says Waitākere Ranges Local Board Chair Greg Presland.
“We want to celebrate those who are going above and beyond to work for our local environment, so I encourage everyone to nominate their local environmental hero,” Greg adds.
People can nominate themselves or others working in the environmental space anywhere across the Waitākere Ranges Local Board area, which stretches from Whatipu, Glen Eden and Titirangi in the south to Waitākere, Swanson and Te Henga in the north.
Nominations are open from 1 to 17 November, with winners announced at a special local event early 2025.
EcoMatters CEO Carla Gee says the awards have become a much-anticipated local event, celebrating the special relationship people in the Waitākere Ranges have with their local environment.
“These are truly heart-warming awards, because they recognise the people who are working in and with our communities to make a real difference.
“It’s never been more important to protect our precious natural heritage, particularly in the Waitākere Ranges, an area loved by so many Aucklanders, as the climate crisis continues to threaten biodiversity,” says Carla.
The previous awards, in 2022, recognised trailblazers and previously unsung heroes working in predator and weed control, food growing and waste minimisation initiatives.
The five award categories are:
- Denise Yates Award: for youth (under 18) showing emerging leadership around local environmental issues.
- Karaka Award: for a school or school group taking action on a local environmental issue.
- Nīkau Award: for a business or social enterprise making a contribution to improve the environment.
- Rātā Award: for an outstanding volunteer group or organisation taking action on a local environmental issue.
- Kahikatea Award: for an outstanding individual volunteer taking action on a local environmental issue.
