New book invites children to be ‘nature heroes’ too

New Zealand Nature Heroes by Gillian Candler (Published by Potton and Burton) is a book I would have loved to have received as a child. New Zealand Nature Heroes is intended for an 8-14 years age group, it is pitched as ‘inspiration and activities for young conservationists’ and the book is exactly that. Each section … Continue reading New book invites children to be ‘nature heroes’ too

Kids Greening Taupō fosters leadership and community collaboration

In Taupō, Kids Greening Taupō are helping students of all ages to connect with nature and take part in real life conservation projects contributing to their community. Thea DePetris and Rachel Thompson are education coordinators for Kids Greening Taupō, an environmental education programme based on a model of Collaborative Community Education where schools work with … Continue reading Kids Greening Taupō fosters leadership and community collaboration

Chris and Brian next to a pond with greenery and blue sky

Southland couple committed to helping children learn about nature

It’s been 6 years since Southland Community Nursery near Invercargill, opened its Education Centre and in that time thousands of people – particularly school children – have visited the property, explored the restoration area via the gravel tracks, learnt about local native plants and discovered a myriad of fascinating creatures in the ponds and native … Continue reading Southland couple committed to helping children learn about nature

A child planting a tree

Wainui Beach pupils use building skills to help wildlife

Wainui Beach is a small, beachside community on the outskirts of Gisborne. In 2017 the students at Wainui Beach School made nesting boxes for their local little blue penguins. This year they’re putting their building skills to use again with a new project. “We’re building trap tunnels,” says Years 3 and 4 teacher, Nic Shand. … Continue reading Wainui Beach pupils use building skills to help wildlife

‘Floating Classrooms’ gives Northland children kaitiaki experience

Bringing back the birdsong – note by note – is what around 350 Northland children experience each year by taking an Explore launch trip to the predator-free islands of Ipipiri in the eastern Bay of Islands and participating in an educational programme known as ‘Floating Classrooms’. “Floating Classrooms is a wonderful outdoor educational experience,” says … Continue reading ‘Floating Classrooms’ gives Northland children kaitiaki experience

St Andrews Primary plans to trap predators and feed rescue raptors

St Andrews Primary is a rural school in South Canterbury where children and teachers have strong ties to their natural environment. They’ve recently become a Kiwibank Predator Free School – but that’s just the latest in an impressive lineup of conservation projects ranging from monitoring endangered mudfish to helping orphaned and injured harrier hawks and … Continue reading St Andrews Primary plans to trap predators and feed rescue raptors

Papa Taiao courses develop leadership and sustainable enterprise skills

Every three weeks, 2-3 senior students from most central Wellington high schools come together for an after-school workshop to help them hone the leadership skills they need to develop their own sustainable, environment-focussed enterprise or project. The workshops continue for the full school year, earning NCEA credits and are the latest initiative from sustainability and … Continue reading Papa Taiao courses develop leadership and sustainable enterprise skills

We’ve teamed up with NZ illustrator to create iconic wildlife poster

We commissioned local artist Erin Forsyth to help us create a stunning poster featuring some of our native species – Taonga o Aotearoa. Our aim is to get the poster into every classroom and DOC hut in the country to help remind people what we’re protecting by creating a predator free New Zealand. Most Kiwis will have a … Continue reading We’ve teamed up with NZ illustrator to create iconic wildlife poster

CatchIT’s ‘natural innovators’ brimming with ideas for trapping

Got a ferret you’re struggling to trap? How about using a milk bottle top filled with milk for a lure? It worked a treat for one child taking part in the Forest Bridge Trust’s award-winning CatchIT schools programme. “Children are natural innovators,” says Liz Maire, educator for the Trust. “Some of them have discovered things … Continue reading CatchIT’s ‘natural innovators’ brimming with ideas for trapping

Young children recycling

Ahipara youngsters lead the way

They’re some of the youngest members of Ahipara’s small seaside community, but the children of Ahipara Sandhoppers are doing everything they can to help their environment from picking up rubbish, to growing plants for butterflies, trapping predators and even deconstructing broken appliances for recycling. What’s more – these Kaitiaki Kids haven’t even started school yet! … Continue reading Ahipara youngsters lead the way

Mangonui kids are creative and committed to helping kiwi

East of Kaitaia, near Doubtless Bay and overlooking the Mangonui Harbour, you’ll find Mangonui School. Currently it has just over 140 students in years 1-6 (ages 5-11) and, established in 1858, it is one of the oldest schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Teacher, Ryan Kiely says he can see the sea out his classroom window. “I … Continue reading Mangonui kids are creative and committed to helping kiwi

First rat caught is just the beginning for keen Summerland School team

“We caught our first rat yesterday,” 9-year-old Abhinav announces proudly. “We’ve got rats, mice and hedgehogs at Summerland School.” “We found that out using tracking tunnels and chew cards,” adds Gabriel. “We used peanut butter in the traps,” says Ahmad. “They’re at different sites around the school, like shady areas.” “Most are around the borders … Continue reading First rat caught is just the beginning for keen Summerland School team

Two trappers in the forest

Towards a Predator Free Taranaki

A large-scale predator project, the biggest of its kind in New Zealand, was launched in Taranaki today supported by more than $11 million from the Government. Taranaki aims to be the first predator free region in the country under the project, called Taranaki Taku Tūranga – Our Place, Towards a Predator-Free Taranaki and is led … Continue reading Towards a Predator Free Taranaki

A cat is carefullu held by a vet in a classroom.

Curious Minds project lets kids keep tabs on their tabbies

The secret lives of Taranaki’s pet cats are currently being revealed – thanks to project funding from Curious Minds which has enabled the purchase of 60 cat harnesses fitted with GPS tracking devices. If you live in Taranaki and you’ve always wondered where your cat goes when it’s not at home, now is your chance … Continue reading Curious Minds project lets kids keep tabs on their tabbies

An adventure series with an environmental message

Jon Tucker’s Those Kids series is set of linked sailing adventure books featuring some Kiwi and Aussie kids coping with unexpected challenges, whilst learning about contemporary environmental issues along the way. Targeted at year 6 to 9 student level, they are each around 200 pages of compelling high-interest content laid out in illustrated readable-length chapters. This structure … Continue reading An adventure series with an environmental message

Babs and Jon Tucker on a forest walk

Children’s author goes ‘predator free’ in latest adventure novel

‘When children’s author, Jon Tucker, was a teenager growing up in Nelson, he married the girl next door and they began to build a boat together; not just a dinghy or small sailboat, but an “old-fashioned, romantic” traditional ketch that they named ‘New Zealand Maid’. Jon and Babs later became teachers and had five sons … Continue reading Children’s author goes ‘predator free’ in latest adventure novel

A group in bright yellow work shifts make traps

Tangihua Lions Lodge expands its outdoor programme to combat predators

Gerald Mannion has a story about the ‘moment of truth’ when he and fellow Tangihua Lions Lodge trustees realised just how much damage introduced predators had done to their forest. But first, a little background… Thirty years ago, the Whangarei Mid Western Lions, a bunch of local farmers, decided that all young people should have … Continue reading Tangihua Lions Lodge expands its outdoor programme to combat predators

A rat taking and eating a bird from a nest.

Investigating animal pests in your green space

DOC’s Outreach and Education team have released their latest teaching and learning resource ‘Investigating animal pests in your green space’. This resource is targeted at primary schools (Year 1-6 students). Using this resource students can: Gather and interpret data about animal pests living in a local green space. (e.g. school grounds, local park/reserve, backyard) Identify and … Continue reading Investigating animal pests in your green space