Help Tradescantia Terminators Community Problem Solving Team represent NZ in the USA

Tradescantia Terminators is a national championship winning community problem solving team from Kerikeri High School whose aim is to increase community awareness about the noxious weed Tradescantia so it can be controlled. This invasive resilient weed smothers our native seedlings and destroys our ecosystem. We are six high schoolers who, along with our teacher coach and mentors, are passionate about helping our environment.

Our specific focus is to control the Tradescantia around the Wairoa Stream, which we target using manual and biological control. But since Tradescantia can be found almost everywhere, we run community workshops to teach everyone how they can be a Tradescantia Terminator. We’ve been on national television (My Big Backyard on TV2) to spread our message. As well as engaging with local community groups, we worked with the Northland Regional Council and entomologists to release imported South American leaf beetles that eat only tradescantia. We have a presence on Facebook and Instagram to aid in our goal of raising community awareness so Tradescantia can be targeted and eliminated.

Our team of six problem solvers aged 14-16 won the 2018 National Championship in the Senior Community Problem Solving division at the Future Problem Solving New Zealand National Finals. We have now been invited to represent Kerikeri High School and New Zealand at the Future Problem Solving International Conference at the University of Massachusetts in the USA in June 2019. We will join over 2000 delegates from all around the world!