No images? Click here Kia ora koutou, Although last term was a bit disjointed, we still worked with many schools keen to get out and about pre and post lockdown. One of my highlights this term was Soil my Undies and working with a school who were learning all about healthy soil. Read all about this below. Nāku noa, Sarah Williams, Environmental Educator ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION Soil your undies with Kumeroa School Soils form the foundation for life on earth. But what is soil and why is healthy soil important? ‘What lies beneath’ was the first theme studied by students at Kumeroa School to kick off their initiative called agri-Fridays. I helped them explore soils and soil health as without healthy soils we do not have healthy plants. We dug holes in the ground and looked for worms and other soil bugs, made soil ‘worms’, and did the ‘jar test’ to look at soil texture and whether the soils nearby were predominantly clay, silt or sand. Soil organisms help breakdown dead plant and animal matter to release the nutrients back into the soils for use by plants to help them grow. The main activity students completed was called Soil your Undies where we buried not undies, but cotton singlets to understand and measure the health of soils around them. The more chewed and threadbare the singlets are, the healthier the soil is. We look forward to seeing the results when they dig them up at the end of term. Wonderings from Papanui Scenic Bush Reserve Prior to taking any action to help nature you need to build a picture of the health of the environment, what life can be seen, what’s there and what is not. I spent the morning with Papanui Junction School exploring Papanui Scenic Reserve which is within walking distance of the school. We walked through the bush using all our senses to see what was there and what wonderings or questions we had. It was also fungi season so we looked for different types and colours. We also saw signs of pest animals. Students had seen goats in there previously and we saw signs of browsing damage, plus possum poo, and even a possum skull. Next term we are doing some more specific exploring firstly by investigating invertebrates (bugs) in the bush and learning about their role in the forest ecosystem. The school is also keen to set up a pest trapping project so will be working with the Department of Conservation on this. ENVIROSCHOOLS Expressions of interest in Enviroschools in Manawatū and Rangitīkei A huge thank you to both Manawatū and Rangitīkei District Councils who have increased their funding for Enviroschools in their respective districts. There is still funding available so if you are a school or early childhood education (ECE) centre in those districts and are keen to learn more about the programme Contact me to find out more. Wetland Planting with Tokirima School Our new Ruapehu Facilitator Ali Kydd went with Enviroschool Tokirima School to plant a wetland area which was being retired by local landowners. One of our Land Management Advisors, Weston Brown, talked to the students about how wetlands work and the role of riparian planting. The students then got straight in and did an awesome job planting 400 native plants. These were a mix of harakeke (flax), mānuka and te kōuka (cabbage tree), plus a few kowhai were also added to the mix for the birds. The rain arrived just after planting which was perfect to water the trees in, they could not have timed it better. After their mahi the students were treated to a BBQ from the landowners. Newly planted trees need nurturing for the first couple of years as spring grass growth can smother them. The school are keen go back before the end of the school year to check how the trees are doing and clear grass from around them to give them the best chance of surviving. They are also thinking how they can use this wetland as a long term project. Bush Walking with Newbury School What better way to get back into nature post lockdown than a tramp in the Ruahine Forest Park. I joined students from Newbury School’s enviro-group on a walk down to Alice Nash Heritage Lodge just north of Apiti. This area is whio (blue duck) country and volunteers from the Ruahine Whio Protectors run many traplines around the Oroua river catchment to help protect our $10 duck. Walking down to the lodge the students kept a tally of how many traps they spotted. It was great to find out that one of the parents on the trip was a volunteer trapper so they talked about the work the whio protectors do. Once we arrived at the lodge I ran a pest animal tracking and trapping activity to learn about 'right trap for the right pest'. It was heartening to hear that many of the students were already trapping on their own farms and one student said that they can already see a difference and is hearing more native birds. IDEAS AND RESOURCES If you want something to help engage your students in learning about native birds, how about voting in this years’ Bird of the Year which runs from 18 -31 October. The Rifleman/Tītipounamu is my favourite and will be getting my vote! We can all play our part to reduce sediment entering our waterways. It has a huge impact as this video recently released by the Ministry for the Environment demonstrates so well. 202D Lions Video Environmental Challenge 2021/22 Te local Lions has organised a video competition with the theme of Freshwater. The aim of this contest is to challenge Year 5 & 6 students to think about strategies and activities they can do, to help improve, and then maintain healthy freshwater habitats and ecosystems for all plants and animals for survival, and for us all to enjoy. For more information email Phil Lightbourne Youth South Chair. NB this competition is only open to schools in Whanganui, Ruapehu, Rangitikei, Manawatū, and as far south as Foxton. Eligible schools have already been emailed so check with your school office for more information/ |