Today's letter - Southland Times

Landscaped poisoned


The children of Otama school have shown that they know a lot about the environment and have been awarded the Green/Gold Enviroschools certificate to prove it.

They've planted trees to protect riverbanks, tested the quality of the water in streams with scientific instruments, grown vegetables in their school garden and woven environmental care into all of their studies.

They are a great example to their rural community and I wish they would do something quite brave: go and visit the farmer who has poisoned the tussock land on the north face of the Hokonui Hills, which overlooks their small country school, and tell him that his actions are harming the environment, risking serious erosion and giving farming a bad name.

Whoever it was who carelessly destroyed that tussock landscape doesn't seem to take notice of modern environmental thinking but might, just might, listen to the wise advice of children who do.

ROBERT GUYTON

Riverton