🌍 Environmental Audit Guide

Unit 9 Week 1 Activity - Identifying Environmental Issues for Action Project

Instructions: Work with your project group to walk around your school/community and identify environmental issues that you could realistically address. This will help you choose your focus for the Environmental Action Taiao Project.

🔍 Group Information

Project Group Members: ________________________________

Audit Date: ________________________________

Area(s) Surveyed: ________________________________

Weather Conditions: ________________________________

🌱 Issue Categories to Investigate

💧 Water Issues

Leaking taps or pipes
Poor drainage/flooding areas
Dirty or polluted water sources
Water waste/overuse
Other: ________________________________

Observations:

🗑️ Waste Issues

Litter around school/community
Overflowing bins
Food waste
Recyclables not being recycled
Lack of composting
Other: ________________________________

Observations:

🌿 Biodiversity Issues

Lack of native plants
Invasive weeds
Poor habitat for wildlife
Degraded soil
Limited green spaces
Other: ________________________________

Observations:

⚡ Energy Issues

Lights left on unnecessarily
Poor insulation/heating waste
Electronic devices left on
No renewable energy sources
Other: ________________________________

Observations:

🌬️ Air Quality Issues

Vehicle emissions
Dust or pollution
Poor ventilation
Burning or chemical smells
Other: ________________________________

Observations:

🎯 Issue Prioritization

Instructions: Choose your top 3 environmental issues and rank them by:

Impact: How serious is the problem?
Feasibility: Can your group realistically address this?
Interest: Is your group passionate about this issue?
Traditional Knowledge: Can you connect this to mātauranga Māori?

Issue #1 (TOP PRIORITY)

Issue Description: ________________________________

Location: ________________________________

Why this is a priority:

Possible Actions We Could Take:

Issue #2

Issue Description: ________________________________

Location: ________________________________

Why this could work:

Issue #3

Issue Description: ________________________________

Location: ________________________________

Why this could work:

🤔 Reflection Questions

What environmental issue surprised you the most during your audit?
How might kaumātua or older community members view these environmental issues differently?
Which issue do you think your group can make the biggest difference on?

🎯 Next Steps: Use this audit to complete your Project Planning Template and finalize your group's focus issue for the Environmental Action Taiao Project.