A new tool in the form of games for students to learn about the Maungatautari to Pirongia ecological corridor has been created.
St Patrick’s Rhiannon Saitala and Rowan Bromell were involved in the Taiea te Taiao Education Box launch. Photo: Rebecca McDaid
The Taiea te Taiao Education Box was launched last week at Pirongia Forest Park Lodge.
It was put together by the New Zealand Landcare Trust, the lodge, Enviroschools and Pūrekireki Marae.
“The games were a collaboration. We started the box more than a year ago. We’ve been trialling the games when we can, especially at conservation week events,” Landcare Trust Maungatautari to Pirongia ecological corridor project coordinator Bexie Towle said.
“Last week we went to an event in Cambridge with lots of schools, so it was great to test them there.
“It’s teaching kids the concepts of biodiversity in New Zealand and what an ecological corridor can do to help.”
Te Pahū School students enjoying the games at Pirongia Forest Park Lodge. Photo: Rebecca McDaid
Te Pahū School, Te Awamutu Primary School, St Patrick’s and a homeschool group from Pirongia attended the launch event at the Pirongia Lodge.
“The games are anything from field games, where the start line was Maungatautari and the finish line Pirongia.
“We had stepping stones, hula hoops, which were safe areas and different games to cross the corridor, whether it was a beanbag race or what’s the time Mr. Weasel, tag type race.
“The students learnt the concept of having the safe areas, stepping stones for wildlife. They were native birds that were they were getting across from one mountain to the other.
“Then we’d replay the games and introduce things like predators. Some of the students were weasels, rats and possums or introduce things like trappers. They would help control the predators and make it easier to cross the corridor.”
Another funder and participator at the launch was residential aged care provider Bupa.
“We had a lot of fun with the Bupa residents that joined us and got amongst it in the games,” Towle said. “They brought a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm for environmental care.”
There are also indoor games including charades, bingo and others for learning the cultural history of the area.
Pirongia Forest Park Lodge and Pūrekireki Marae will house a box, while Enviroschools will also have a copy for schools to borrow and the resources can be downloaded from online.
“There’s been a real, co-ownership of the box. I guess that’s the idea of the corridor project is it’s a community project,” Towle said.
“We’d love to see the games rolling out and getting popular in schools. Maybe the students could make their own games and feed them back to us.
“Our dream, the point of the box, is to bring this project to the next generation because it’s a generational project.
“We need to get the kids on board. They’re going to be a huge part of seeing this project through.
“It’s going to take more than one generation to create a really robust ecological corridor.
Towle said the Waikato catchment is 1.4 million hectares, the Waipā catchment is 310,000 ha and the corridor is about 51,200 ha.
“We’re actively working on about 15 per cent of the Waipā. But we encourage everyone to be a part of the corridor as we would like to see biodiversity thrive across the landscape and connectivity across the Waipā,” Towle said.
“The birds, bats and insects don’t observe the region and district boundaries we’ve created.”
St Patrick’s Catholic School student Jacob McKimmie reads a fact off one of the blocks. Photo: Rebecca McDaid
