A large group of tamariki Yrs 1 -3 from Riverlands School headed to Onamalutu Reserve earlier this term as a celebration of their learning around sustainability and the living world. At school they had created bird feeders and houses, planted vegetables and cleaned up rubbish. The trip was a chance to see the beautiful areas they can create when nurturing the environment with the small actions they took at school.
The ngahere at Onamalutu is a remnant of podocarp forest once common in Wairau. It has beautiful mature kahikatea, matai and totara. The reserve was donated by a local sawmiller in 1901. This has preserved a small part of the natural ngahere that filled...
Read More Enviroschools and Junior Landcare joined up again in term 4 to give the opportunity for rangatahi to become scientists in a Bioblitz at Grovetown Lagoon.
Biodiversity brings to mind thoughts of remote, wild places full of extraordinary animals and plants. While wild areas are rich in biodiversity, we can easily overlook the variety of species that surround us every day in easy to reach, local spaces - even on the school playing field. Did you know that New Zealand has 2000 species of spiders and you are likely to find one million spiders in one hectare of paddock land! Angela, Wendy (NZ Landcare), Rosanne and Justine (Wetland Warriors) welcomed rangatahi from Queen Charlotte College and...
Read More 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 After an introduction to Nature Connection at a workshop held by Ramona and Angela earlier this year, the idea of utilising an unused and wild area at Ward School grew in Nicole Cochranes mind. It came to fruition at the beginning of this term when she led a group of excited children beyond the normal school boundary. This was the first of weekly visits to explore and connect with nature. Each visit begins with setting up their ‘base camp’. Then they walk the perimeter to look for hazards that may have cropped up since their last visit. During their walk children pick up treasures – leaves, flowers, sticks, anything that takes their interest – to...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Grovetown Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Grovetown Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are...
Read More In partnership with Junior Landcare, students in your Envirogroup have the opportunity to work alongside the WW volunteers in the wetlands nursery or around the Lagoon while learning about the wetlands and why its restoration is so important.
Each Envirogroup that takes part in a working bee with the WW volunteers, gets the opportunity to tour Koru Native Wildlife Centre. This tour normally costs $5/child, but will be offered free as part of the Junior Landcare programme.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about Marlborough gecko, giant wētā and kakariki, provide context and motivation for restoration, and is a wee “thank you” for their work with the WW volunteers.
There are 3...
Read More Te Whanau Hou Grovetown Lagoon visit
Meet just over the bridge beside the carpark on Steam Wharf Road Thursday 20th June, 3.30 - 5 pm Originally named Big Bush by Settlers, Te Whanau Hou Grovetown Lagoon is one of just a few natural wetlands remaining on the Wairau Plain. The beautiful oxbow lake was formed when the Wairau River changed its course roughly 155 years ago. Hear more about Grovetown Lagoon, its history, native flora and fauna as we walk around this amazing Place . Bring walk clothes , comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle. RSVP to Angela angelg@wenties.nz Fri 14 June...
Read More How often do you take the time to slow down and experience the environment with all your senses?
At the beginning of March Marlborough Early Childhood teachers left feeling inspired and excited to plan their next excursion after attending this term's Nature Connection workshop. Following on from the Nature Connection pilot programme last year where our Environmental Education team supported Spring Creek School and Springlands Kindergarten to set up their own Nature Connection programmes, they hosted an introductory workshop. Gathered at Sheps Park, Springlands Kindergarten teachers guided the group through the experience that they offer tamariki when they have their fortnightly visits there. Opening with a karakia, they then followed their process of a “safety check”...
Read More 
