Fonterra awards environmental effort

03 March 2008

Fonterra awards environmental effort

Fonterra and Keep New Zealand Beautiful Society named the first Fonterra Environmentalist of the Year at a Beehive ceremony last Friday.

Mosgiel-based Lester Harvey won the new title, which will be awarded annually to a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to improving his/her local environment.

Lester's efforts in cleaning up the 10km-long railway embankment from Wingatui to Riccarton Road southwest of Dunedin saw him chosen from a large group of volunteers representing the Society's 50 regional programmes. For the past eight years, the septuagenarian has worked 25 hours a week on the project, which has seen more than 280 cubic metres of soil deposited to level the ground and over 6,000 plants sown.

For his dedication, Fonterra will donate $5,000 to a community-based environmental project of his choice.

Fonterra Environmental Manager Adrian Pyne says Fonterra is delighted to have the opportunity to lend its support to an Award which celebrates the contribution made by individual New Zealanders to improving the environment.

"Dedicated volunteers, such as Lester, play a vital role in making our communities cleaner and safer places to live and work. His story reminds us all that individually we can make a difference to our communities."

The Award continues a three-year old partnership between Keep New Zealand Beautiful and Fonterra.

Fonterra is a Corporate Sponsor of the Society and each year teams of staff from the company's manufacturing sites participate in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Clean Up Week campaign, clearing rubbish from around roadsides, sports fields, parks and beaches.

"Because we operate in the heart of New Zealand communities, we are always looking for opportunities to make a difference at a local level."

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