An Enviroschools Action Fund makes the Wairau Valley school Enviro Teams dream a reality last year. The plan was to create a native corridor for native birds. The team researched what type of plants native birds like and also discussed the flowering times of different native plants to provide food through out the year. It was a great practical activity and the students really enjoyed mucking in. ...
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The flightless takahē (South Island takahē; Porphyrio hochstetteri), is the world’s largest living rail (a family of small-medium sized ground-dwelling birds with short wings, large feet and long toes). The North Island takahē (moho; P. mantelli) is unfortunately extinct. Takahē have special cultural, spiritual and traditional significance to Ngāi Tahu, the iwi (Māori tribe) of most of New Zealand’s South Island. Ngāi Tahu value takahē as a taonga (treasure) and they continue to act as kaitiaki (guardians) of the takahē by working with DOC to protect this precious species. https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/takahe/ Image source: Department of Conservation NZ...
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The Enviro Team at Witherlea School were excited to be granted with an Enviroschools Action Fund for the expansion of their School Ngahere. They used the money to purchase a variety of native trees, climbers and shrubs to add to the expansion of their School Ngahere. Originally they had two separate forests divided by a flying fox. When the flying fox came down they were left with a large gravel area. They filled in this gravel area with soil and purchased native plants with the Action Fund. The children chose plants and trees that would attract native birds and a variety of insects. A big thank you from the Enviro Team! ...
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The students at Richmond View School became Botanists this term as they explored the classification of native plants on the Taylor Awa. People have always given names to things that they see, including plants and animals. So, of course most of us turn to names as the first form of classification. It was a scientist, Linnaeus, that first developed a hierarchal naming structure (of 7 parts no less). This conveyed information about what a living thing was and also its closest relatives. Earlier this term, if you happened to be walking your dog down the Taylor Awa, you may have come across Richmond View School students studying the Tui to Town plantings. Their inquiry for...
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Our Sustainable Action Ideas newsletter is filled with exciting upcoming events and dates as well as ideas to connect with your environment and community. Click here to access our online Padlets to view this newsletter and previous ones....
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Fairhall School's native garden entrance has a makeover Fairhall School has a meandering native garden created to grow beside a stream space that only has water in it for part of the year. It has a bridge over this space and is an area the school highly values. Over the years it has been added to and this time it was the native garden entrance that got a makeover. One of the senior classes and their teacher has been busy doing some planning and work to the entrance. They recently overhauled the Marlborough Rock Daisy garden at the entrance to the garden/ngahere. As part of this space they have created a bark mountain to...
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