Konini caretaker wins EcoWise award

Hard worker: Award-winning caretaker Melissa Walen with some of her helpful students, from left: Anthony Lockton, 10, John Pennell, 11 and Braden Thompson, 10.

By Rani Timoti

There is no task too tough or dirty for Konini Primary School caretaker Melissa Walen.

"There are myriad jobs to be done," she says. "They're inside, outside, after hours, and on the weekends. It turns into a big part of your life."

Melissa's efforts and enthusiasm have won her a prize in the EcoWise Community Awards.

The event is run by the Keep Waitakere Beautiful Trust to recognise volunteers and nominees who try to keep the city free of litter, weeds and graffiti.

Konini teacher Jennie Adlam says Miss Walen does a great job keeping the school's gardens maintained.

"She supports the children who study the bush and waterfall in the area and helps keep it free of rubbish," she says.

Miss Walen, 34, a solo mother, was brought up by her community-minded nan in Mt Roskill.

Her practical skills come from her dad, a builder.

She has been a caretaker at Konini since May 2003 and has even done a little detective work as part of her duties.

"Melissa works hard to remove tagging from the school and has shown investigative prowess by tracking down taggers," Miss Adlam says.

"Inevitably, the culprits do time by helping her in the gardens and grounds of the school."

Other EcoWise Community Award-winners: Kauri award for the most active volunteer: Pam Robinson; Totara award for the most active volunteers: Roy Ranby and Thelma Butterworth; Puriri award for the best schoolgrounds tended by students that are litter and graffiti-free and/or feature composting facilities and plant propagation sites: Laingholm Primary; Rimu award for civic pride for the street that is the tidiest, cleanest and litter and graffiti-free through positive neighbourhood action: Douglas Pharmaceuticals.

Special awards: Moira Kennedy, Chia-Jung Wu, Flanshaw Rd School, Ranui Action Project and Keep Waitakere Beautiful Trust sponsors Tag Out Trust, Civic Contractors and Tribro Bins.

Western Leader