Earlier in the year, Tua Marina and Springcreek Schools teamed up to replant a section of the Kahikatea Reserve. This amazing restoration project was started 20 years ago. The aim being to return the land to original ngahere and water ways. A group sitting quietly counting birds When planting the damaged section, we could hear numerous birds in the maturing ngahere beside us. Of course we also had piwakawaka ducking and diving around us as we disturbed the insects that piwakawaka love to eat. We came up with the idea of returning each year to do a bird count. Both in the 20-year-old section and the newly planted section. This would measure...
Read More If you haven’t been to Mckendry Park in Spring, it is something that you must do. Golden and white Daffodils dot the park, whilst spring blossom gently falls to the ground from the breeze of Tāwhirimātea, as if snow is falling. The students of Springlands school got to experience this magic as part of their learning about Tānemahuta.
This term Ramona and Angela from our Environmental Education Team worked alongside Springlands School to put together a plan to learn about Tānemahuta and his presence within their school and surrounding areas. Tānemahuta is the guardian of all the forests and all the birds and plants that live there.
The plan that was put...
Read More Last term four schools took the opportunity to work next to and learn from the Wetland Warriors volunteers just how amazing our wetlands are. It was made possible thanks to a wonderful collaboration between Junior Landcare, Enviroschools and the Wetland Warriors at Grovetown Lagoon.
Standing on the banks of the lagoon, it can be a little tricky to understand just how wetlands filter water and protect surrounding areas from flooding. So Angela visited the schools armed with two experiments that helped to explain the wetland superpowers.
The first experiment explored how wetlands manage water, especially during heavy rains or storms.
Students built a landscape out of clay then imitated a rainfall event by pouring water over...
Read More World Environment Day on 5 June 2023 will focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. - https://environment.govt.nz/what-you-can-do/campaigns/world-environment-day/...
Read More The Tuamarina Awa is a tributary of the Wairau Awa and flows through the largest remaining wetland in the Wairau catchment, the Para Wetland. Unfortunately, the water quality of the Tuamarina awa is rated as marginal, unacceptable water quality that needs to be improved.
The awa passes Tua Marina school on the opposite side of SH1. It’s not an easy place to get to but the senior students wanted to learn more about it. Particularly its health and what they could do to care for it now and in the future. With a whole school inquiry into science, they leapt at the chance to investigate the awa with a scientific lens. They studied the cycle...
Read More As the clouds parted and the sun broke through Marlborough ECE teachers descended upon Koru Native Wildlife Centre. The first event offered to Marlborough ECE teachers as part of the new Environmental Education support pilot for Early Childhood Centres was underway. In line with the regional focus of PLACE and CONNECTION this was an opportunity for teachers to meet Ellen. and see what resources she can support kaiako and tamariki with when learning about some of New Zealands native species. Koru Native Wildlife Centre is situated in Grovetown. It invites you to get up close and learn about brightly coloured Yellow Crowned Kākāriki, fascinating Giant Wētā and Marlborough Green Geckos.
-
- Gecko
-
- Kākāriki
The centre is set...
Read More The children in Waihi class at Grovetown School have been investigating the health of the creek that runs alongside their school.
After the Grovetown School students first visit to observe the creek they felt pretty confident that it wasn’t in a very good state. But the children wanted some facts to back up what they saw. The children named the weed on top of the creek Frog Porridge.
Using the Enviroschools Stream Study Kit they measured the flow, temperature, and clarity of the water, before identifying the creatures that live in the creek. Unfortunately the only creatures they found were small snails. All their tests of the creek failed to meet healthy...
Read More Diversity in Nature
Wednesday 8 November, 3.30 - 5 pm Waikawa Bay School Wairau Marlborough is one of five centres of biodiversity in Aotearoa. We are so lucky to have a high number of endemic plant and animal species that only exist here in Wairau. We will explore what biodiversity is and how you can assess the biodiversity of your school, local waterway or green space using Enviroschools activities as well as community and national initiatives. The students from Waikawa Bay School will join us to share their mahi on trapping as we investigate the issues impacting our precious species. There will be time to link what you have learnt to inquiry topics and the Enviroschools Action Learning Cycle. As...
Read More Our term two Sustainable Action Ideas newsletter explores the Enviroschools Guiding Principle of Respect for the Diversity of People and Cultures.
It highlights some up coming awareness dates that support this guiding principle as well as shares ideas to celebrate other cultures in your school or centre. There are also a number of workshops happening this term. Click here to access our online Padlets to view this newsletter and previous ones....
Read More Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. On two days of action each year, teachers take children outdoors to play and learn. All year round, the Outdoor Classroom Day community campaigns for more time outdoors every day....
Read More 
