Omakau School has a new classroom - a tunnel house to be exact.

The 14m x 6m structure was officially opened during a ceremony on Tuesday, a milestone for the people who made it happen and those who watched from the sidelines as it took shape.

Principal Adelle Banks praised Anna Gillespie who had the vision, sourced the funding and could see the potential it would bring to the school, along with Ben Gillespie and Andrew Kerr who brought it to life.

Ministry for the Environment provided funding for the structure and the Otago Regional Council paid for the equipment needed to set it up.

The tunnel house is already being put to good use by children who are growing plants from seeds, which will eventually be added to the Thomsons Catchment Project they help monitor.

As part of the project, the school’s senior pupils test the water once a month at about seven sites, and have also planted native plants around the wetland.

Omakau School children have been transplanting native seedlings into bigger pots. They transplanted 488 plants, including 18 kōwhai, 106 ribbonwood, 102 mānuka, 62 carrex, 84 cabbage trees, 51 harakeke and 65 toi toi. PHOTO: Supplied

Some of the seedlings they grow in the tunnel house will also be available to purchase, Adelle said.

“It’s an absolutely amazing asset for our school, and hopefully one that will span generations.”

Each of the school’s classes are growing vegetables in the tunnel house, which the children will eventually be able to cook and eat, while learning about the process of paddock - or in this case - tunnel house to plate.

Read more: Omakau School supports local environment