Mangawhai Team returns triumphant

Four teenage girls have put Mangawhai on the map, while raising awareness of the endangered fairy tern.

The Tern around Team of Jamie Davies, Holly Brooks, Alana Torrie and Tahlia Howard, were welcomed home at a special community function. The team finished runners-up in the international finals of the Future Problem
Solving competition and Mangawhai Beach Primary School principal Dave Fletcher congratulated the 13-year-olds on their contribution to both the school and the community.

The girls spent more than two years on the project, giving up weekends and holidays under the guidance of teacher Rob Posthumus. The team made posters for the Department of Conservation, encouraged businesses to sponsor nests, and designed t-shirts, bags and lanyards to promote their cause.

Former principal Neil Robinson, who came back for the ceremony, told the girls that he was “totally in awe of what they had achieved as a team”. Their success proved that “everyone can make a difference”, he said.

Mr Fletcher thanked the wider community who had supported the girls’ $40,000 bid to attend the finals in Michigan, USA. The team of four was one of the smallest in the competition, which featured entries from more than 10 countries. Mrs Posthumus told the audience that the contest was very close.

Holly Brooks said that it had been a fantastic experience that she would remember for ever.

“We learned a lot, and it’s made us more independent and accepting of each other,” she said.

It’s the second team that Ms Posthumus has coached to win the national final and place second internationally.

Fairy tern winners, from left, Tahlia Howard, Jamie Davies, Holly Brooks, and Alana Torrie with coach Rob Posthumus.