Celebrating Conservation Week at Wild Waikawa
As part of Conservation Week Aotearoa, a group tamariki from Waitohi Kindergarten went on a beautiful bush adventure into the heart of Wild Waikawa — and what an incredible journey it was! 
Wild Waikawa stands at the base of Mt Piripiri and stretches up the face of the maunga, the mountain sacred to mana whenua. Waitohi Kindergarten have a special relationship with the place, visiting there with tamariki several times a term. Here they connect with nature, explore and discover. These experiences don’t sit in isolation either, they are brought back to kindergarten and extended upon.
On this visit their little explorers delighted in spotting Black Witches Butter fungi, lying back to gaze up at the treetops and sky, and embracing the art of being still and quiet. They tuned into the natural world with all their senses — feeling the textures of leaves and bark, listening to the birdsong, and breathing in the fresh forest air. 
Highlights from their hīkoi included:
Discovering fungi and forest bugs
Checking rat traps and spotting a deceased possum, sparking big conversations about predator control and kaitiakitanga
Bug hunting under logs and leaf litter
Collecting natural materials (nothing living…off the forest floor) to design and build our own bird nests — inspired by manu and their clever construction skills!
These rich, hands-on experiences supported learning across Te Whāriki, including:
Exploration | Mana Aotūroa – through investigating the living world and expressing curiosity
Wellbeing | Mana Atua – by fostering calm, presence, and mindfulness in nature
Contribution | Mana Tangata – through working together and showing care for the environment
Communication | Mana Reo – as tamariki shared ideas, observations and wonderings
Belonging | Mana Whenua – by connecting with the whenua and understanding our role as kaitiaki
