A keen group of pupils go to school early on Fridays and maintain a line of traps along a walking path near their school.
They empty the traps before the school day starts. The emerging conservationists have been rewarded for their efforts with a Keep Dunedin Beautiful award for the best school project.
School deputy principal Dean Gordon said Fulton Hogan installed the track and pupils had learnt about pest control, ensuring native bird life was protected.
The patrol project had been running since the start of the year and more animals were caught in the early weeks than recently, proving the squad’s success, he said.
Mr Gordon said the pupils at a ceremony in Dunedin yesterday were excited about the win and they were keen to get back to school to talk about it.
Fulton Hogan won its own award for its part in the collaborative project — the sustainable business award.
Pupils also planted more than 300 native trees, shrubs and grasses along the track.
Task Force Green volunteer David Robins won an individual award for voluntary work that included cleaning up rubbish and removing graffiti.
Other award winners included Full Court Family, which was both about basketball and keeping grounds tidy, and Switch — Idea Services, a day base for people with intellectual disabilities.
They often collected litter.
