Kia ora koutou

Happy Conservation Week! This year’s theme encourages you to “love your backyard” through getting involved in activities and events either in your own backyard or in our big New Zealand backyard.

Check out how some of our amazing DOC rangers have been celebrating this week on the DOC Blog.  

Although Conservation Week is finishing on 22 October, it is never too late to get involved and show your love for our nature! Activities like investigating invertebrates and birds, tracking pests, planting natives, weeding and clean-ups in your own backyard all help with protecting our unique biodiversity. Our ‘IN the environment’ resources have plenty of activity ideas you can do in your school grounds.

Thank you to all the groups that entered our Habitat Heroes competition! We have thoroughly enjoyed reading and hearing about your amazing conservation projects. We will be contacting the finalists and announcing the winners in the next few weeks.

Also in this issue:

• New Conservation Education resources
• Toyota Kiwi Guardians update
• Conservation education programme spotlight: Taupō for Tomorrow
• Noteworthy nature competitions and events

Ngā manaakitanga,

DOC Outreach and Education team

New Conservation Education resources

Investigating alpine environments - Years 9-13
This resource is designed to introduce secondary students to New Zealand’s extraordinary alpine environments, and support them to take action to help protect them. Using this resource students can:

• Carry out practical investigations and gather scientific data on at least one aspect of an alpine environment (ecology, geology, geography, sustainability)
• Learn about some unique alpine plants and animals, and understand how they are connected within alpine ecosystems
• Learn about the history and cultural heritage of Tongariro National Park
• Investigate the interrelationships between people and alpine environments
• Learn about threats to alpine environments and how people contribute to these
• Identify how they can contribute to protecting alpine environments and take conservation action.

Young Ocean Explorers – Love Our Ocean

Young Ocean Explorers aim is to inspire children to love our ocean through entertaining education. The interactive website uses a blend of fun storytelling, fascinating facts and incredible images… all told through a teenager’s eyes. Young Ocean Explorers want to connect the hearts and minds of children with the ocean, so they care and want to look after NZ’s unique and beautiful marine world.

The interactive website has been designed for maximum engagement for this digital generation, with lots of short videos, poll and quizzes.

For more information about how this amazing website can be used in your classroom, check out this video

Toyota Kiwi Guardians update

We have launched a new permanent Toyota Kiwi Guardians action medal - Toa Tiaki Wai/Water Champion. 

Five new sites have also recently launched - 

1. Dunedin - Dunedin Botanical Gardens
2. Dunedin - Jubilee Park 
3. Nelson - Branford Edible Park 
4. Northland - Smugglers Cove
5. Taupō - Waipahihi Botanic Garden.

Check out the website for more information -

Lachlan cleaning up a beach, Image: Becs Gibson

Programme spotlight

Taupō for Tomorrow

Taupō for Tomorrow is a freshwater education programme based out of Tongariro National Trout Centre, coordinated by DOC educators. If you’re in the Central North Island on camp or field trips, take advantage of programmes tailored to your group’s needs – whatever that group may be!

From hands-on interactive learning, to social-science debates about sustainability, to studies of flow and fluvial environments, they can cater for all levels of schooling, including NCEA.

Add Taupō for Tomorrow on Facebook to take advantage of their freshwater related teaching and learning ideas for all levels, and check out their website for bookings and more information.

Tongariro School NCEA Geography students measure velocity of a stream

Want to access the full range of DOC education resources?