Sounds of Otari School

As soon as I finished the students soundscape and worked out how to include a sound file in blogger, you can the listen to the sounds they recorded. We might have a go later in the year with a more detailed sound map and try out making a composition from the recorded sounds.

Vertical Pallet Gardens

There's loads of information on the web showing different styles of vertical gardens using old wooden pallets as the base for growing plants. I have included some images but just search and you can find numerous ways to grow your plants vertically.

Image Via Snapguide

Image Via Upcycle That

Living Fence

The Living Fence students have been working out their ideas for the fence and the plan is to build some test vertical gardens to try out various options and see what works best for the fence. This will help them plan how to grow the plants but also look at watering, weeding and other maintenance issues needed to keep the plants thriving and panels looking good. The test gardens will be made using old wood pallets and weed mat material, there are lots of variations people have tried using old pallets and I will post some details soon.
Being in Wellington and growing plants on a fence will be a challenge but it will be fun trying and we will keep you updated on progress so you can see how we get on.
The images below show different recycled material that we plan to try when growing the plants, we also plan to try out a gutter garden, by using old gutters attached to the fence.

Examples of Tile Designs and Styles

"Ornery Lover" By Heidi Preuss Grew

"The Deafening Sounds of Reality (side 2) By Scott Ziegler

The First One Hundred Years... By Vince Palacios 

"Droplets" By Francisco Jimenez 

Image via Ecole Bayside Middle School

Image via Sponge Tree

Image via Floatingwoo 

Via Gary Jackson

Image via NC Clay Club

Image via This Inspiration

Tile Ideas

These tile designs are based on some of last years art group's work.

Tile Project

The tile project will involve the whole school and local community in designing a series of images to be used to make clay tiles, which will be placed on the 60 or so posts along the fence. (Each tile will be 10cm wide and 15 cm high.)
I visited Aimee McLeod, a potter who has worked with staff at Otari School, she is going to support the project and help with turning designs into tiles and handily she has her own kiln at home, which is not to far from the school.
The intention is to get the students in the art group to run the project and help chose the designs to be made in to the tiles. They will also be working on involving the wider community in the project by letting everyone know what is going on and how to get involved. More information about the tile project will be out soon.
Ideas for the designs will be based on anything that has a connection with the School, local community, local history, Maori settlement in the area and  flora and fauna found in the area. As we are lucky enough to have the Otari Native Reserve next door. which on it's own would provide a wealth of material to use, we shouldn't be short of ideas.
The next few posts will be on tiles and different ways of decorating them, Aimee said that there are many different ways to make and decorate the tiles, so most ideas should be able to be turned into a tile.

Living Fence

Next week the students working on the garden and living fence ideas will be looking at some other ideas to incorporate on the fence such as growing kanuka, which is used for many different purposes from fences to firewood. Our plan will be to look at whether we can grow kanuka on the fence and if we can what is the best way, then we can start growing them and when mature enough give the young trees to people in the community. 

Other ideas we will be looking include developing an insect fence, just like a insect hotel but on a fence, images to come soon.

Kanuka fence around Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae

More Secret World Ideas