Fishy adventure kicks off from Hukanui Primary School
24 JULY 2008 For Immediate Release
There’s a fishy adventure kicking off from Hukanui Primary School this Friday 25 July. When her newly published book
Rusty’s Big Adventure is launched at the school, 10 year old Lauren Fletcher’s classmates will be the first to read it.
Lauren’s story was chosen from an overwhelming number of entries in a recent Hamilton City Council competition, which
asked schools around the city to tell the story of the silver-plated iconic kokopu which guards our city’s drains from
pollution.
For several years now silver-plated fish insignia, in the shape of the native kokopu fish, have adorned street drains
throughout Hamilton.
Hamilton City Council general manager works and services Chris Allen says, “the fish act as an important stop-and-think
mechanism to protect our waterways. Stormwater flows over paved areas and down our street gutters picking up everything
that is in its way. All of this rubbish can end up in the Waikato River. When people see the fish on drains the first
thing that should come to mind is that storm water drains are only for rain”.
A campaign to generate awareness of stormwater pollution and educate the community on how they can make a difference
kicked off earlier this year within Hamilton schools. Focusing in on what the Fish on Drains symbolises, primary and
intermediate students were asked to write a story about the kokopu living in one of Hamilton’s freshwater ecosystems.
As the winner of the competition, Lauren had her story published in full colour and the book will be distributed to all
schools and libraries throughout Hamilton. Councillor Daphne Bell will present the first book hot off the press at a
special school assembly this Friday 25 July, 9.30am. The book will be read to students by Hamilton City Council
environmental advisor Aaron Fleming.
Nameless until now, the city’s Fish on Drains were also christened Rusty as part of the competition.
ends