The Tread Lightly Charitable Trust inspires Auckland primary school students to ‘tread lightly’ on te taiao (the environment) by using science-based exhibits to create an engaging and interactive learning experience.
Activity exhibits such as a high-powered microscope, a waste-wall showcasing how plastics in a landfill take many years to decompose and an electric bike used to power energy efficient and energy demanding appliances, help students see for themselves how their every-day actions have an impact on the world we live in.
Tread Lightly’s ‘signature activity is an interactive touch screen, the ‘Environmental Footprint’, which enables students to calculate how much of the Earth’s resources would be used if everyone adopted his/her lifestyle. Students learn that the average environmental footprint for New Zealanders is 3.75 Earths. 
Strong school demand for the ‘Tread Lightly experience’ can be attributed to a growing awareness of the need to nurture and protect the environment combined with a nationwide shortage of primary school teachers with a science background.
Teaching combines insights from Western science and Te Ao Māori perspectives and the topics covered are tailored to meet the needs of each year group.
Since December 2009 Tread Lightly has visited more than 300 Auckland schools and hosted around 100,000 children.  
The Trust is supported by government, philanthropic and corporate funders including Purex, Citycare Water, Visy, Hynds and NZ Steel.
After 15 years on the road, Tread Lightly’s award-winning flagship caravan is to be replaced by a brand-new Ford E-Transit van. The Meridian Decarbonisation Fund generously financed the purchase of the E-TLC van and Pacific Motor Group upgraded the sale by providing the latest model of the vehicle.
We are currently seeking partners to help fund and develop interactive teaching exhibits including a fully immersive new ‘Environmental Footprint’ which will accessed inside our new electric van.

Tread Lightly Charitable Trust

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