Search

water of life Tag

Enviroschools Marlborough / Posts tagged "water of life" (Page 2)
Picton Kaitiaki group at Shakespeare estuary

Kaitiaki group visit Shakespeare Bay

Picton School's Kaitiaki Group visited the Shakespeare Bay estuary for NZAEE Seaweek. Picton School's Kaitiaki group were invited by Port Marlborough in conjunction with Cawthron Institute to visit the Shakespeare Bay estuary as a focus for NZAEE Seaweek in March. The Kaitiaki group were smaller in stature and younger in age than usual as the group's senior students were away on camp.  However, their levels of excitement and enthusiasm were just as high! The Kaitiaki group and Cawthron scientists, smiling in the rain! Despite the rainy day, scientists from Cawthron had set up a range of activities to help the group study the estuary. Anika, Dana and Robyn each took a group...

Read More
Save the Taylor River Now

The Taylor River: Feeling the Love!

Blenheim students have been loving their river lately: learning about it, connecting with its natural spaces and raising awareness about how we can all take care of it. Whether you visit it as a way to get safely from A to B, to exercise your dog, to enjoy the sunshine during your lunch break or to teach your child to ride their bike: the Taylor River is a much-used and enjoyed part of Blenheim.  As well as being a popular spot for recreation, the river is valued for its important role in flood protection, serving as a conduit for stormwater during rainfall events.  It is home to a variety of native and introduced freshwater...

Read More
Stream Study_Banded Kōkopu

Summer Stream Studies

Term 1 has seen plenty of students getting out of the classroom and into a nearby river or stream to learn about healthy waterways. Students from the Home School Co-operative Learners group investigated Pukatea Stream as part of a day out at White’s Bay. They were impressed with the amount of life in the stream, especially the large banded kōkopu found in a shady pool. They got to see the kōkopu’s jumping ability first hand as it leapt from the container and wriggled back to its watery home. Tamariki were concerned that they didn't find any kōura - the group has found lots of them in this stream in the past. Maybe they were...

Read More
Freshwater education Marlborough

Freshwater Education Programme for schools

Explore and learn about Marlborough's freshwater habitats with Marlborough District Council's Freshwater Education Programme. Take a look at the sessions on offer through MDC's Freshwater Education Programme. These sessions are available free-of-charge to Marlborough schools and can be tailored to meet your needs. Contact Anna Crowe to discuss your requirements or to make a booking. ...

Read More
Blenheim School care code

Blenheim School unveil Taylor River Care Code

Students and staff of Te Kura o Waiharakeke | Blenheim School proudly unveiled their ‘Taylor River Care Code’ sign in November. The sign, which has been over a year in the making, sits beside the Taylor River near the John Street footbridge. Developed by the Envirogroup and their Enviroschools Lead Teacher Tracy Holdaway, the care code sets out how the whole community can help the tamariki take care of this special awa. It features beautiful artwork drawn by the students and reflects the special relationship that the school has with the awa that flows right beside it. Many students pass the river each day on their way to and from school, and tamariki regularly pick...

Read More
Enviroschools on camp at Pine Valley

Enviroschools on camp at Pine Valley

Term 4 is traditionally a great term for getting out-of-doors and into the bush or stream, especially if you are on camp! At Mill Flat in Pine Valley, Anna and Angela have been working as a team so that students are able to study the diversity of life in the river and in the bush surrounding it as part of their camp activities. Mill Flat is the perfect location to explore our wonderful diversity of native insects, animals, freshwater life and plants. Adult (winged) Stenoperla Stenoperla (aquatic) nymph One of the insect species living in Pine Valley Stream is the endemic large green stonefly ‘Stenoperla’. Its presence in the awa...

Read More
Kaitiaki for the awa

Blenheim School: Kaitiaki for the awa

Tamariki at Blenheim School have been thinking about how they care for a place that is very special to their school: The Taylor River. The Envirogroup got together to think about kaitiakitanga, and talked about all of the different kaitiaki that care for the Taylor awa.  These include ātua (e.g.: Tangaroa and Tamanuiterā), taonga species (e.g. tuna | eels), iwi/mana whenua, council, and community members.  The students discovered that they can be kaitiaki for the awa too, as the more kaitiaki the awa has, the healthier the awa will be!  They all had loads of examples of why the river is special to them.  It turns out that they have already been doing some things...

Read More
River artwork

Student artwork by the Taylor River

Student artwork will soon grace some of the entrances to Blenheim's Taylor River. Some of the Springlands Go MAD (Make a Difference) students came up with an idea to design artwork with messages to remind people to take care of special reserves in our region.  The students displayed all the artwork in the staffroom window and then asked the school to vote on their six favourites. The MDC reserves team kindly turned these six artworks into signs that will be displayed on some of the entrances to the Taylor River. This was an exciting project that was totally developed by students with a bit of support. Look out for the signs when you are next...

Read More
NZ Biodiversity strategy

Students have their say on NZ’s biodiversity plan

St Mary's Envirogroup students submit on NZ's biodiversity strategy. Can you imagine what our world would look like if there was only one type of tree or bird or one type of apple to eat? The children in St Mary’s Envirogroup didn’t want to imagine that type of environment.  Healthy biodiversity is important to them.  They know that Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity is amazing! About 90 % of our insects, 80 % of trees, ferns and flowering plants, 25 % of bird species, all 60 reptiles, 4 frogs and 2 bats are found nowhere else on earth. The current Government strategy on biodiversity is 20 years old and expires in 2020.  The Department of Conservation is putting...

Read More