Northland pupils taste sweet success. From left, Rebecca Stanley (13), Madeleine Cranko (13), Megan Hayes (13) and James Simpson (13).

UNESCO Living Heritage awards held at Te Papa this week acknowledged the efforts of three schools for their online research projects.

Students from Wellington’s Northland Primary School played in Stellin Memorial Park up the road,  yet no one seemed to know who the park was named after.

From their research, four students found James Kingston Stellin was born in Lyall Bay in 1922. He joined the Royal Airforce as a pilot and was killed in 1944 while successfully defending the village of St Macloula Briere, France. His father donated land in Northland so a park could be erected in his son’s memory.

The Northland project was one of three to be awarded a plaque and $1000.

Madeleine Cranko (13) says: “We were pretty excited to know we won.”

Briar Simpson-Waddell (11) from another award winning school, Mahana in Nelson, says she was very proud of their achievements and was grateful to the people who had helped out - “especially Mrs Cuthberson, she was great”.

The third winner, Hauraki Primary, on Auckland’s North Shore, had been

Hauraki School pupils (from left): Joel Cattell (11), Jack Collinson (11), Nina Minogue (11) and Leah Wilks (10).

curious to find out if mangroves were unwanted weeds or attracted native birds.

The pupils were shocked to find that people used mangroves to throw away their rubbish. They  concluded more young people like them were needed to save the enviroment.

Jack Collins (11) says winning $1000 for the school was cool, but it would be nice if the money could be split amongst their team.

Living Heritage, Taonga Tuku Iho Awards celebrate New Zealand’s heritage and/or treasures, says NZ National Commission for UNESCO chair, Bryan Gould.