Ngā mihi o te wā
We hope you're managing to stay warm this winter!
Conservation Week (15th - 23rd September) is almost here and people across the country are bustling away to make it the biggest yet! The focus this year will be on providing pathways for people to participate in conservation. You could:
- join in on Conservation Week events and activities
- be active on social media or donating to a conservation organisation
- learn more about our precious threatened species.
In this issue of Pitopito Kōrero, we highlight some of the amazing programmes/events occurring nationwide for Conservation Week, as well as:
- Upcoming SLH/DOC webinars
- Toyota Kiwi Guardians developments
- The Outlook for Someday Challenge
- Kākāpō Recovery education resource and t-shirt design competition
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require any advice, or have any feedback about this newsletter or our resources. We would love to hear from you!
Ngā manaakitanga,
DOC Outreach and Education team
Conservation Week (15th - 23rd September) this year is aiming to raise awareness of the biodiversity crisis that New Zealand faces, the causes, and what we can do to address it. With over 4,000 species at risk or threatened, we want to provide easier pathways for people to help turn this around.
The Conservation Week graphic is of a tīeke (saddleback) calling, accompanied by the wording "Conservation week is calling". This is surrounded by images from four sectors - flora, fauna, freshwater, and marine - and includes a range of threatened species from each group.
Squawk Squad Educational Campaign for Conservation Week!
Imagine bringing the environment into your classroom with Virtual Reality headsets! This year, you can with the Squawk Squad digital education package.
For more information on the Squawk Squad Conservation Week campaign check out their Facebook page or if you haven’t got Facebook, on YouTube.
DOC integrated inquiry learning cycle for Conservation Week!
Conservation Week posters (design above) will be distributed to all schools across New Zealand via the Education Gazette and this year the poster will include the classroom ready DOC integrated inquiry learning cycle on the reverse side! Make sure you keep an eye out for its delivery.
Toyota Kiwi Guardians - Get a group involved
The Toyota Kiwi Guardians programme is excited to announce the introduction of a new group redemption process!
Beginning soon, teachers and leaders of groups with more than five children completing a TKG adventure or action will not be required to fill out individual redemption forms for each child, or provide parental information.
In return, TKG will provide a double-sided certificate for each child in the group, and the group will receive one wooden medal.
The double-sided certificate will include redemption information for the guardian of the child, if the child wishes to be send their own medal (as per individual child/parent rewards structure).
For more information on the revised process, and to stay updated on the TKG programme - visit the Toyota Kiwi Guardians website, or Facebook.
Teacher professional development webinars
We have partnered with the Science Learning Hub to deliver four free, interactive teacher PD webinars on the ‘in the environment’ resource series-
1. Eco explorers
In this first recorded webinar, activities that support an inquiry approach to conservation education are modeled and exciting DOC resources about exploring your local environment, experiencing birds and experiencing invertebrates in your green space are introduced. We will discuss some of the highlights, opportunities and challenges that come with teaching about and in the outdoors. View here
2. Our native trees
In this recorded webinar, readily available resources and activities about New Zealand’s native trees are introduced. These aim to inspire teachers to incorporate native trees into their Living World contexts. The webinar discusses how engaging in science inquiries can support learning across the curriculum and can be easily adapted to any level. View here
3. Pest detectives
In this recorded webinar, DOC’s investigating introduced predators and investigating weeds resource are introduced, highlighting activities that gather and interpret data about introduced predators living in your local green space. The NZ-wide goal of Predator Free 2050 is discussed, and how schools can contribute to achieving this is included. View here
4. Eco Champions – Thursday 20 September, 4:00-4:45pm
This webinar is coming up for Conservation Week. We will introduce resources to support enhancing biodiversity and taking environmental action in your local environment. We will also share case
studies of schools involved in amazing environmental action projects. Register today to avoid missing out!
The Outlook for Someday Challenge
Know anyone young New Zealanders who are passionate about sustainability? Entries are now open to the Someday Challenge, an annual film challenge open to young New Zealanders.
The challenge is to make a short film about sustainability, of any genre, entries can be individual or by teams. Any sort of camera is OK, even the one on your phone.
The theme of sustainability is open to interpretation; it could be about bird or plant life, dreams, family and whānau - the possibilities are endless!
Previous winning films include:
- Te Ao te Tuturuatu, an animation about the Shore Dotterel
- Archie, a fun video essay exploring the meaning of sustainability to children
- Plastic Straw Free Rangiora, a documentary challenging a small town to give up its plastic straw habit.
All winning films are entered into multiple international film festivals, and prizes include camera gear, vouchers, and a trip to Weta Digital in Wellington.
The entry deadline is September 14 - for more details, go to The Outlook for Someday.
Plastic Straw Free Rangiora - Ranger Leary receiving his Youth Award from Minister Peeni Henare at Parliment
Kākāpō Recovery Education Resource
This resource provides classroom activities for Levels: 1 - 4 and has been designed to accompany the Kākāpō Kingdom video clips developed by our partners Meridian Energy. Use this resource to uncover why the kākāpō is so important to New Zealand!
This resource and the videos introduce students to:
- Kākāpō ecology: where they live, what they eat, their adaptations, and how they stay alive
- Kākāpō challenges: kākāpō threats and how people contribute to these
- Kākāpō conservation: the role of people in protecting kākāpō.
Check out this amazing kākāpō infographic which explains what a kākāpō is, why they are so vulnerable and how people are working together to help them!
Watch the videos
- Kākāpō Kingdom Episode 1
- Kākāpō Kingdom Episode 2
- Kākāpō Kingdom Episode 3
- Kākāpō Kingdom Episode 4
- Kākāpō Kingdom Episode 5
View and download the Kākāpō Recovery education resource
Kākāpō t-shirt design competition
The Kākāpō Recovery Programme has joined up with FLOAT (For Love of All Things) to create a new kākāpō t-shirt to raise money and increase awareness about kākāpō.
The kākāpō t-shirt design competition is for all New Zealand kids and we want you to design the t-shirt! For every shirt sold, $10 will go towards protecting kākāpō.
There are plenty of prizes up for grabs, including Kākāpō Recovery adoption packages for the winner and school with the most entries. But hurry, entries close 28 July 2018. Remember you can scan your entry and send to kakaporecovery@doc.govt.nz
Also - check out the Kākāpō Recovery Education Resource to learn about this amazing bird and for some design inspiration!
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Cave wētā. Credit: Sabine Bernert