Monkey Puzzle Tree Scholarship Fund established to support local students
Monkey Puzzle Tree is a weird name isn't it?
The generous donor who established this fund spend time marveling at a Monkey Puzzle Tree in Glasgow, Scotland, wanted to name the scholarship something enduring and interesting.
Having seen first-hand the need to consider our environment, this scholarship has been set-up to support local students from Whakatāne High School and Trident High School who are graduating and pursuing tertiary study in environmental science or related disciplines.
The Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is an extraordinary symbol of endurance. Native to the volcanic slopes of Chile and Argentina, this ancient conifer has survived for over 200 million years, outlasting the dinosaurs through resilience, adaptable armour, and remarkably unique growth patterns. Today, despite modern environmental pressures, it continues to thrive wherever it takes root, producing rich seeds that sustain the ecosystem around it.
Inspired by this legacy, The Monkey Puzzle Scholarship is designed to support local students who embody the tree’s defining traits: originality, resilience, and the strength to stand out.
Four scholarships will be awarded annually to graduating students entering tertiary study, with two scholarships awarded to Whakatāne High School students and two to Trident High School students.
This Scholarship will be open for applications from August 2027.
