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Super Sites forConservation Education –Catlins

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CONTENTS

Using this resource 4

Site Maps 5-6

The Catlins: Site Information 7

Pounawea Nature Walk 7

Catlins River Walk 9

Nugget Point Scenic Reserve 11

Pre and Post Visit Activities 14

Site Activities 17

Activity 1: Nature awareness scavenger hunt 17

Activity 2: Getting to know you 18

Activity 3: Who lives here? 19

Activity 4: Changing world 20

Activity 5: Poetry 22

Activity 6: Sign of life 23

Activity 7: True or false 24

Activity 8: Marine reserves 25

Related Resources (including websites) 26

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USING THIS RESOURCE

This resource kit is designed to help you plan exciting and educational conservation

learning experiences outside the classroom. It focuses on three sites in the Catlins,

chosen for their accessibility and the range of learning experiences they offer. The

sites are:

• Pounawea Nature Walk

• Catlins River Walk

• Nugget Point Scenic Reserve

For each site, the kit provides background information to introduce you to the key

points of interest. A list of other resource material available is included to guide you

to more in-depth information. To help you get the most out of your site visit, a range

of on-site activities have been suggested, together with ideas for pre and post visit

activities.

CROSS-CURRICULAR OR SPECIALISED.

Sites can be used to meet goals from specific curriculum areas, or different

curriculum areas simultaneously. A trip might be planned to meet objectives from

the place and environment strand in the Social Studies curriculum, the living

world strand of the Science curriculum, and healthy communities and

environments from the Health and Physical Education curriculum. Skills and

attitudes can similarly be selected from across the range of curriculum documents.

Example: Science Curriculum

Strand: Making Sense of the Living World – Students could be learning

by:

Level 1 Making leaf rubbings and prints to closely observe the patterns of

leaves.

Level 2 Finding out what happens to the wildlife in a forest when the trees

are cut down.

Level 3 Composing a song, rap, or jingle suggesting possible solutions to the

problems faced by an endangered native species.

Level 4 Visiting a local forest or bush area to collect data about the impact

of people on the area.

Level 5 Debating a global conservation issue to develop an awareness of

human impacts on the environment.

Level 6 Investigating the management of New Zealand’s indigenous forests.

Level 7 Debating the impacts of a new mining venture in a national park,

taking into account conflicting claims about the effects on people

and the environment.

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In planning your programme, it is recommended that you refer to the Ministry of

Education’s Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools.

The Guidelines identify environmental education opportunities in the national

curriculum statements. Copies are available from Learning Media, Box 3293

Wellington.

EDUCATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

Take the opportunity to make students aware that the places they are about to visit

are part of the heritage of all New Zealanders and therefore the responsibility of all

to care for. The Environmental Care Code in the margin is a good resource for

reinforcing this point.

SAFETY

Schools are reminded of the need to prepare a risk analysis and management plan

for their visit . Helpful documents include:

• Education Outside the Classroom: Guidelines for Best Practice (Ministry of

Education, 1995).

• Managing Risks in Outdoor Activities (Mountain Safety Manual 27, 1993).

• Water Safety Across the Curriculum (Water Safety New Zealand, 2000).

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Catlins River Walk

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The Catlins: Site Information

High in natural values and rich in diversity, The Catlins provides a wealth of

contrasting environments to explore. In places, exposed sea cliffs rise to a height of

200 metres while just around the corner you can find white sand beaches washed

by gentle waves or wading birds feeding quietly in a sheltered estuary.

This unique mix of landscapes greets you with a wild and rugged welcome one

minute and a calm and gentle kia ora the next. At Pounawea and the Catlins River,

the welcome falls into the latter category. The Nuggets are definitely on the wild

side.

Pounawea Nature Walk

Pounawea is located on the banks of an estuary fed by the Owaka and Catlins Rivers.

The Pounawea Nature Walk, formed mainly for the use of school groups staying at

the settlement, takes you through the Pounawea Scenic Reserve. The 38 hectare

reserve lies at the edge of the Catlins River Estuary and offers a rewarding

combination of tall native forest and contrasting saltmarsh.

History

Logged in the early days of European settlement, the forest in the Pounawea Scenic

Reserve once contained numerous, towering podocarp trees. The term podocarp

refers to the family of tall, long-lived but slow growing native trees, such as rimu,

totara, kahikatea and miro that can survive up to 1000 years.

During the late 1800s, the forests in the Catlins area were extensively exploited for

their timber. Kahikatea, the tallest of New Zealand’s trees, growing to 15-30 metres in

height, and a lover of fertile, often swampy ground, was eagerly sought by sawmillers

for butter boxes and cheese crates because of the wood’s lack of scent.

At one time, up to 11 ships would cross the bar on the tide each day to fill their

holds with timber cut from the region’s forests. On the opposite side of the estuary,

on the site of the yacht club, the “Big Mill” once processed large quantities of wood.

Up to 40 workers were employed in the mill. A rock bar, extending beyond the

grove of macrocarpa trees on the opposite shore, was formed by ships dumping

their stone ballast in preparation for loading the lucrative timber.

Now quiet and peaceful, the area shows little sign of the lively sea and timber trades

carried on in the late 1800s.

Today, Pounawea has a population of only about 100 residents, though numbers rise

in summer months when the cribs and camping grounds fill with holiday makers

enjoying the area’s inviting tranquillity.

Prior to European settlement, the Catlins coast was settled in several places by

Maori. These coastal sites show a strong reliance on moa and wild foods of the

sea. Pounawea and Papatowhai to the south are two areas that are particularly

rich in Maori artefacts.

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The Forest Today

Once logging ceased, the forest slowly recovered.

Only a few totara, rimu and kahikatea escaped the

axe. These survivors remain as mature trees and can

be easily distinguished by their broad trunks and

towering height.

The main canopy of the forest is now composed

almost entirely of kamahi, with rata increasing to the

west and south west of reserve. Lower down in the

layers is a diverse understorey of:

• fuchsia

• wineberry

• mahoe

• coprosma

• red matipo and

• abundant tree ferns.

Crown fern, other ferns and some herb species provide a dense ground cover.

On the saltmarsh, the dominant plant species is glasswort, a succulent with

distinctive jointed stems. At the upper edge of the marsh there are taller plants such

as rushes and a twiggy, small-leaved shrub called shore ribbonwood.

Between the marsh and forest is a stand of manuka, flax and tall rushes. The high

parts of the marsh are composed of a hard, peaty upper layer in contrast to the

sandy base of the lower marsh.

From the estuary, you can see how the forest gradually develops from low-lying

marsh plants through intermediary shrubs and finally into emergent podocarps. The

opportunity to observe coastal forest and adjacent saltmarsh is now very limited as

examples of this kind of vegetation sequence have become extremely rare.

Birdlife

Birdlife is a feature of the reserve.

The forest provides habitat for;

• tui and bellbird (komako)

• grey warbler (riroriro)

• tomtit (miromiro)

• New Zealand pigeon (keruru).

On the saltmarsh:

• migratory godwits (kuaka) feed in flocks on the mudflats in summer,

• Royal spoonbills make occasional visits

• oyster catchers (torea), white-faced herons and other waders are present the year

round.

From the road outside the camping ground, you can look north across to Surat

Bay, now a common site to view sea lions. The sea lions visiting the area are

mostly young males some of which have journeyed from their breeding grounds

in the subantarctic Auckland Islands. The sea lions are gradually making a

comeback on mainland New Zealand after their numbers were greatly reduced

by hunting. They were wiped out by Maori and earlt settlers.

Keruru

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Access

• A convention centre/camp is available for use by schools visiting the settlement.

• Access to the Pounawea Nature Walk is gained from the Pounawea Motor Camp.

• Vehicles must be parked outside the camp.

• Toilets are available in the camping ground.

• The track is easy and well-formed and suitable for all ages.

• Allow 45 minutes to get round the track.

• Check tides and weather forecast prior to your trip.

• You can guide yourself through the numbered pegs on the walkway with the

help of the DOC brochure included at the back of this resource.

Note: At high tide, the saltmarsh portion of the track is impassable and you will need

to retrace your steps through the forest.

Catlins River Walk

The Catlins River Walk offers the opportunity to traverse exotic pine plantations,

silver beech forests and the grassed flats of the “Wisp Run”. A well-formed track

follows close to the Rriver most of the way. The track is in several sections, each of

which can be walked separately.

Numerous bird species can be seen around the waterways of the Catlins River,

including:

• Little and black shags;

• Mallard and grey ducks;

• Paradise shelduck;

• Black-backed gull;

• Fernbird;

• White fronted heron;

• Kingfisher; and

• Pukeko

One of the special features of the site is the opportunity to see endangered mohua

or yellowhead . The bird can be distinguished by the beautiful splash of bright

yellow covering its head and breast. The rest of its body is brown with varying tinges

of yellow and olive.

Last century, the mohua was one of the most abundant and conspicuous of our

forest birds. As with all of New Zealand’s threatened birds, habitat destruction has

been a major cause of decline of the species.

Introduced predators (rats, stoats and possums) also threaten the bird’s survival.

Mohua are especially susceptible to attack by stoats because they nest in holes in

trees which have no escape route.

The combined effects of forest clearance and predation have meant the bird has

now disappeared from many of its traditional areas. Mohua could once be found in

podocarp-hardwood forests, such as rimu, totara and miro, but they are now seen

only in beech forests with fertile soils where they can find plenty of insects to eat.

The birds usually build their nests in holes in large beech trees and spend most of

their time feeding amongst the mosses, ferns and lichens which only grow on older

trees.

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Their most conspicuous feeding technique involves perching on a vertical trunk or a

branch and scratching vigorously at the bark and epiphytic growths, often sending

showers of debris onto unsuspecting bird watchers below.

Another feeding technique involves hanging upside down on the end of a small

dead twig and probing into the broken end in search of beetle larvae.

Mohua have a relatively high reproductive rate. Each year, they can lay up to four

eggs. If the factors that have caused the bird’s decline can be eliminated or reduced

significantly, this high reproductive rate suggests the mohua has a good potential for

recovery.

The Department of Conservation has established a mohua recovery plan to maintain

and enhance mohua populations by halting and reversing the degradation of the

forest environments on which they depend for their survival trapping for introduced

predators such as stoats. You may see long wooden tunnels close to the track. These

have stoat traps inside and are designed to catch stoats and not native forest birds.

Please do not move these trapping tunnels.

The Catlins River itself is likely to be an important habitat for giant kokopu. Giant

kokopu are one of New Zealand’s largest native stream fish, growing up to 30cm

long. The fish hide among flax and rushes in streams and swamps not far from the

sea.

Whitebait can also be found in the river. Whitebait are young native fish of the

galaxiid family. (Galaxiids are a very ancient type of fish and a very special part of

New Zealand biodiversity). They lay their eggs in the bank-side grasses at very high

tides in the autumn.

Access

• The Catlins River Walk runs from Tawanui Camp to The Wisp. From Owaka,

Tawanui Camp can be reached by taking the Owaka Valley Road to Morris Saddle

Road and following it down to the northern banks of the Catlins River. Road

conditions can be rough depending upon logging operations.

• The section of track from Tawanui to Franks Creek takes about 2.5 hours. Starting

in pine forest, the track follows the river down into silver beech forest. Tawanui

Camp has toilets and water taps.

• The walk from Franks Creek to Wallis Stream takes about 1.5 hours. The track

follows the river most of the way and takes you into the heart of the silver beech

forest, crossing the river in several places. It is in this area that you are probably

most likely to see mohua high in the canopy. This section of the track is

recommended.

• The walk from Wallis Stream to The Wisp is about an hour long. There is a picnic

area at The Wisp and toilets.

• Walking times mean the site will be more suitable for upper primary and

secondary students.

• Check weather and wear suitable clothing.

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NUGGET POINT

Nugget Point (Ka Tokata) islocated approximately 25 kilometres from Owaka, and is

probably the Catlins best known coastal landmark. The area takes its names from the

wave eroded rock stacks and islets which are said to bear some resemblance to gold

nuggets.

In the nineteenth century, the coastline around the Nuggets was used by European

whalers. Today, Nugget Point attracts over 30,000 visitors who come to experience

the area’s unique views and wildlife.

A viewing platform at the lighthouse provides spectacular views over the area.

Binoculars are recommended.

The lighthouse dates back to 1870 and is the oldest continuously operated

lighthouse in New Zealand. It is now fully automated.

Wildlife

Nugget Point has long been known as a premier site for coastal wildlife. The islets

and rocky shore attract a wide range of marine life because of their proximity to

good feeding grounds.

• A breeding colony of around 500 fur seals or kekeno is resident at Nugget Point,

using the area’s rocky shore, islets and caves for shelter and breeding.

• Sea lions or patake and elephant seals can also be found here, though in smaller

numbers. Nugget Point is the only elephant seal breeding site in New Zealand. It is

also the only place on mainland New Zealand where fur seals, sea lions and

elephant seals coexist.

• A wide variety of seabirds can also be sighted in the area, including:

– common red-billed and black billed gulls;

– spotted shags (parekareka);

– sooty shearwaters (titi) – the largest known mainland colony of sooty

sheerwaters is located at the Nuggets,

– colonies of yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) and

– blue penguins (korora).

On the road up to Nugget Point, there is a sign-posted track to a yellow-eyed

penguin lookout at Roaring Bay.

Other casual penguin visitors to the Nuggets include the Fiordland crested, Snares

crested, erect crested and rockhopper penguins which stop over to moult.

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Sea Life

The seas around Nugget Point are proposed as a marine reserve under the Marine

Reserves Act 1971. A marine reserve is an area of the sea, seabed and foreshore that

has been set aside for its conservation values.

The sea bed around the Point supports a rich diversity of plants and animals.

• To the north of the headland, forests of giant bladder kelp up to 15 metres tall are

found beneath the waves. Their fronds are just visible at low tide. On the sea floor,

a diversity of red and green seaweeds form a lush carpet.

• On the southern side, hardier bull kelp is found. Their thick fronds hide prime

paua habitat. Blue cod can be found along with spotties and banded wrasse.

• Around the Nuggets themselves, the steep sided islets provide ideal conditions for

sea sponges, coral, sea squirts, sea urchins and jewel anemones. The most obvious

invertebrates on these reefs are starfish, ranging from the cushion stars to the

larger reef stars.

Prior to European settlement, there were at least two permanent Maori

occupation sites in the general area and a number of middens containing moa

and seal bones. Road construction between Nugget Point and Kaka Point and

pasture development has removed or disturbed much of the historical evidence.

Kai Tahu iwi state that the area still has great historical and cultural importance.

Access

• The path to the viewing platform at the Nugget Point Lighthouse is easy and well-

formed.

• The walk takes about 10-20 minutes return.

• A parking area is located adjacent to the path.

• Check the weather forecast and dress appropriately.

If you are planning to visit the Roaring Bay viewing hide, the walk to the hide takes

about 20 minutes return. Penguins can be viewed from the hide in the late

afternoon, after 3pm.

• The path to the viewing hide is easy and well-formed.

• Toilets are available.

Lobster

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Conservation Management: Current Issues and Threats

Possum control in the vulnerable forests of the Catlins is a priority for the

Department of Conservation.

Grazing and browsing by stock, deer and goats and the spread of noxious weeds are

also key management issues.

On the coast, the protection of marine mammals and penguin breeding areas from

interference by the public is a key issue, particularly with increasing numbers of

tourists visiting the Catlins area. Other issues include:

• unsuitable land uses in areas adjoining the coast; and

• the impact of motorbikes and four wheel drives on dunes and wetlands.

The Department of Conservation’s objectives for the management of The Catlins

area are:

• To improve protection for complete sequences of indigenous vegetation and

examples of uncommon species and ecosystems;

• To secure as complete an area as possible of indigenous coastal and inland

forest as is feasible for protection of its high landscape, floral and faunal

values and public enjoyment.

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Pre and post visit activities

Planning good lead-in and follow-up activities will help you get the best value from a

field trip. If students have some formative ideas about what they might be about to

find, they will observe in a more focussed way. The activities suggested below can be

adapted to the age/level of your students and to the specific site.

Pre visit

• Locate the site on a map. Work out its distance from the school and how long it

will take to get there. Talk about how people would have travelled there in the

past before cars. How long would it take to get there on foot?

• Examine issues related to the history of the site - e.g. its location and strategic

importance; evidence of past occupation and uses. Which groups of people have

lived in or used the area in the past, and for what purposes?

• Brainstorm all the things students know about New Zealand’s native bush. Have

them design a survey to test what their families, friends and other students in the

school know about the bush and how they value it. Re-visit this survey at the end

of the study to see if attitudes and values have changed.

• Find out who the local iwi in your rohe are. Where are their marae? Who are the

kaumätua? What stories can they can tell you about the place you are going to

visit?

• Go for a spot-the-tree walk around the school environment. Collect some leaves

(not too many), make rubbings, use reference books to identify them if necessary.

Predict whether you will find the same types of trees at the sites you plan to visit.

• Visiting outdoor areas usually requires special gear and there are safety issues to

take into account. Have students list the clothing and other gear they think they

will need on the trip. Discuss a brief for and design a weather-proof suit or jacket

with plenty of pockets and extra features like a waterproof seat.

• Design an outdoor safety code. Appoint class members to help apply it on the day.

• Use maps and other resources to gather information about the geology and

geography of the area.

• Find out what the students know about DOC. Is there a DOC office in their area?

What does a DOC ranger do? Check out the DOC web site at www.doc.govt.nz

• Use the DOC web site to find out about New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy. How

do the goals and actions in the strategy relate to the site you are visiting?

• Examine the meanings of the words exotic, endemic and native. Consider which

exotic plant and animal species could get into the reserve unaided. How could

they get there? What could their impact be?

• Working in groups of four or five get students to plan a radio documentary on the

site you are planning to visit.

– Get them to identify some points of interest that they want to report on and

research some background information about the area.

– Allocate roles to the group members: one student can be the reporter, one can

be the programme producer and the other students can be given roles as

interview subjects.

– The reporter and producer will need to draw up a list of questions to ask. The

other members of the group can draw up character profiles, stating the

character’s name and summarising his/her background and viewpoint.

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• Begin a study of a plant or animal that lives in the coastal or forest environment

that you will visit.

Find out as much as you can about its special features that allow it to live in this

environment, its natural predators, introduced predators, its status, its uses, different

stages of its life cycle, etc. This study can be added to following the visit.

Post Visit

• Make a forest display along a wall of the classroom with teams working on tree

trunks and foliage, shrubs, lianes and epiphytes. Add pictures or models of birds.

Make silhouettes of birds in flight to adorn the ceiling. Add labels and descriptive

writing or poems.

• Complete studies of plants and animals. Ask your local kaumätua or check books

in the library for more information about the use of plants as traditional

medicines. Try some tea made from kawakawa leaves.

• Make a “wanted” poster for an introduced mammal pest. Describe the damage that

the pest is doing and suggest an ecological reward for its elimination.

• Calculate the weight of forest that possums destroy in New Zealand. There are

about 70 million of them and they can eat between 800g and 1 kg per night. Work

it out per night and per year. Then consider the effects on their favourite food

species and on the other native plant eaters.

• Draw plants and animals that make a food chain and/or cut them out. Arrange

them into a food chain or, for more advanced students, build up a food web.

• Make a model of the rock stacks at Nugget Point using clay or play dough or

model the wildlife that life in the area e.g. sea lions, elephant seals, fur seals,

yellow eyed penguins. Discuss or write about the importance of each specie in

this ecosystem.

• Use rating cards (“Strongly Agree”, “Agree”, “Not Sure”, “Disagree”, “Strongly

Disagree”) for students to respond to the following statements:

– Trees should not be cut down.

– Some trees are more valuable than others.

– We cannot live without trees.

– People are making too much fuss about cutting down trees - there are heaps of

them.

Place the rating cards in different areas around the room. Read out one of the above

statements and ask students to place themselves according to their opinion. Get

each group to hold a discussion and then appoint a spokesperson to report to the

class. Students are given the opportunity to change their opinion based on what

they have heard from others.

• Show the video on the Nugget Point Marine Reserve Proposal (15 minutes)

available on loan from the Department of Conservation, Dunedin.

1. Working in groups, ask students to identify and list any arguments for and

against marine reserves.

2. Allocate to each group the role of one of the following:

Fishing company

Recreational fisher

Nature tour operator

Forest and Bird

Department of Conservation

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You could also allocate to one group the role of the wildlife living in the area

e.g. a sea lion or yellow eyed penguin

3. Ask each group to prepare a role card for their character. A role card names the

character, summarises what each believes and the outcome they want.

4. Each group nominates a speaker to represent it in a debate on the marine

reserve proposal for Nugget Point. Appoint one student to chair the debate and

make sure everyone gets a chance to be heard.

5. Once everyone has had their say, allow the rest of the class to take on the role

of “reporters” and ask the debaters questions about their positions. They could

also ask them what they think of other people’s opinion.

6. When the debate has finished, ask students to think about their own views on

marine reserves and share them with the class. If time allows, conduct a ballot

on the Nugget Point Marine Reserve proposal by asking students to write

down whether they support or oppose the proposal on a piece of paper.

Collect voting papers in a “ballot box”. Nominate two or three official counters

to tally up the results and inform the class.

Less than 0.1 per cent of New Zealand’s marine environment is currently

protected, compared to about 30 per cent of its land area. Use the DOC website

to find out more about marine reserves.

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Site activities

The following pages provide suggested activities that can be carried out “on-site”.

The majority of the activities can be easily adapted to each of the three sites. Some

activities have particular relevance to a specific area. For example, there are specific

activities focusing on the marine environment at Nugget Point while others are

directly relevant to forested areas at Pounawea and the Catlins River.

NATURE AWARENESS SCAVENGER HUNT

Materials

• Instruction card

• Pen or pencil

• Paper

• Hand lens (optional)

Method

1. Group the students into pairs. Give each pair an instruction card with a list of

things to find and study at the site. A sample card is provided below.

Set a time limit for students to find and study vidence the items listed. 2.

2. At the end of the designated time, ask each pair to report on what they found.

ACTIVITY 1:

Nature Awareness Scavenger Hunt

Find evidence of the items below and explain the reason for their special

features: (eg. Something prickly – the prickles help to protect it from

predators)

• Something that has animals living in it

• Something living in a damp area

• Something with very big leaves

• Something that has flowers, fruit or seeds

• Something unusual

• Something very old

• Something prickly

• Something growing on something else.

See if you can also find:

• Something that shows people have been here.

• Something that is of no use in nature.

REMEMBER the Environmental Care Code:

✓ Treat plants and animals with respect

✓ Stay on the track.

✓ Have fun.

Trick question: Everything in nature is put to some use by plants or animals even if

only by breaking down and adding to soil.

Chip packets or human plastic rubbish may be only thin and of no use but could

lead to discussion of waste and recycing – by nature; by humans.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Materials

• Blindfolds

Method

1. Group the students into pairs and give each a blindfold. One member of the

pair is blindfolded while the other leads him/her to a nearby tree that is visible

from the starting place.

2. Once at the tree, the student who is blindfolded is given 2-3 minutes to

“explore” the tree. Is the bark rough, smooth, flaky? How wide is the tree? Can

they hug the tree so their hands reach around the trunk? How high are the first

branches? Does it have a distinctive smell?

3. When the time is up, the blindfolded person is led back to the starting place

and turned around three times before the blindfold is taken off. They now have

to find the tree.

4. When they have located the tree, ask them to try to identify it.

For information on plant identification, refer to Andrew Crowe’s Lifesize Book

of Native Plants, Penguin Books, 1997.

5. Get the students to introduce their tree to the class, describing what it looks

and feels like.

ACTIVITY 2:

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ACTIVITY 3: WHO LIVES HERE?

Materials

• Ball of string

• Paper

• Pen and pencil

Method

1. Divide the students into groups of five. Give each group a long piece of string

which they can place around an area of the site. If the site is a forested area

(Pounawea Nature Walk, Catlins River Walk) the string can be placed between

two points on the forest track. Get the students to explore the trail, recording

the plants and animals they note along the way. They do not have to know the

proper names; they can just record the number of different species they see.

2. After exploring the trail for 10-20 minutes, call the class together and talk about

the variety of things they have seen.

3. Use the discussion to introduce information about the diversity of plants and

animals in New Zealand. For example:

• It is estimated New Zealand may have as many as 80,000 species but we

only know about 30,000 of them in any detail.

• Human impacts on the environment have meant we’ve already lost some of

our plant and animal species, including:

– 32% of our native land and freshwater birds;

– 18% of our native seabirds;

– three of our seven native frogs.

The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy is a useful source of information on our

plants and animals. It can be found online at www.doc.govt.nz

4. Ask the students to identify human behaviours that benefit and harm the

environment. You could use the Environmental Care Code as an example of

positive behaviours.

Extension activity

Back in the classroom, ask each student to develop their own personal code of

environmental ethics or construct a class code of environmental ethics. Encourage

students to put the code into practice over a period of time (two weeks, one month)

and to monitor how easy or difficult it is for them to live by it. Get them to report

their progress each week.

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CHANGING WORLD

Materials:

• Paper

• Pen or pencil

Method

As he sailed along the coast in 1863, James Hector, a geologist to the Provincial

Government of Otago, saw the great forest that covered the Catlins and described it

as “extremely dense and... everywhere com[ing] down to the beach”.

1. Ask the students to pretend they are James Hector returning to the Catlins

today.

2. Get them to find a good vantage point and write a diary entry describing what

James would see today.

3. After a designated time,or back at school, gather them together and discuss the

changes to the environment that they think have happened since James’ time.

4. As a class or in groups, ask them to talk about whether they think peoples’

attitudes about the environment might have changed over the years. For

example, early New Zealand settlers cut down bush to provide farmland. Today,

we have laws protecting most of our native forests. What does this say about the

way attitudes to the environment may have changed?

5. Ask the students to discuss their own attitudes towards the environment.

Extension Activity

1. Back in the classroom, working in groups ask students to draw up a list of

questions to survey people’s views about the environment. They could

interview their classmates, students in other classes, or family members.

2. After they have carried out their survey, get them to compile the results and

present their findings to the class. For older students, encourage them to

present their results in graph form e.g. pie charts, bar or line graphs.

Examples of questions they might ask are:

• Do you think our environment is as healthy as it should be?

Yes – it’s in great health

Okay but could be better

No – It’s in poor health

• What do you see as the main environmental problems for your community?

• Do you have any recommendations for solving these problems?

• Do you think we need laws to protect the environment?

• What, if anything, do you do to protect the environment?

ACTIVITY 4:

21

Below is a report of a survey of New Zealand students’ attitudes towards the

environment that could be used to stimulate discussion.

Environment first, say Kiwi Kids

Put the environment before economic growth, say Kiwi kids. Sixty-four per cent

of students interviewed in a recent survey believe New Zealand should

concentrate on the environment even if it means some reduction in economic

growth.

The survey of 700 students in Auckland and Hamilton found only 12% thought

New Zealand should place economic growth before environmental protection.

Most felt it was possible to have a prosperous economy and a healthy

environment.

Presented by Waikato University lecturer Paul Keown at a Sydney environmental

education conference last year, the survey shows students not only care strongly

about the environment but are also prepared to take action to help improve

environmental quality.

Table 1: Environment versus Economic Growth

NZ should concentrate on economic growth even if it means some 12.7%

damage to the environment.

NZ should concentrate on the environment even if it means some 64.14%

reduction in economic growth.

Not sure. 21.7%

Economic growth is bound to be at the expense of the environment. 13.57%

It is quite possible to have both a prosperous economy and a 73.14%

healthy environment

Not sure. 12.12%

Over half the students surveyed indicated they would consider signing a

petition, going to a meeting or writing a letter to help protect the environment.

The majority also indicated they would consider making a report or complaint

about something that they thought was bad for the environment and would

consider encouraging others to change behaviour that was bad for the

environment.

Only about 20% were resistant to the idea of taking action to improve the

environment.

22

ACTIVITY 5: POETRY

Materials

• Paper

• Pen or pencil

Method

1. Ask the students to identify an aspect of the site they would like to write a

poem about. They can choose a plant or animal or even the view from a

particular spot.

2. Give everyone 5 minutes to find his or her own place. Suggest they begin by

noting down some key words to describe the subject of their poem. If they

have chosen a plant or animal, they can think about where it lives, how it

moves, where it travels, what it eats, how long it lives, and how other plants and

animals look from its perspective.

3. Ask them to write a short poem or sets of phrases.

4. After a designated time, ask for volunteers to share their poems with the class

or invite them to swap poems with a classmate.

Haiku of cinquain poems could be written if children are familiar with these.

Encourage spontaneous writing so that the focus is on the environment not on the

correct structure of the poem. Writing could be fine-tuned back at school.

• Haiku

Three lines: 5,7,and 5 syllables respectively.

• Cinquain

Five lines:

Line 1: The title in two syllables or two words.

Line 2. A description of the title in four syllables or four words.

Line 3. A description of action in six syllables or six words.

Line 4. A description of feeling in eight syllables or words.

Line 5. Another word for the title in two syllables or words.

• Diamante

A poem shaped in the form of a diamond.

23

SIGN OF LIFE

Materials

• Paper

• Pen or pencil

Method

1. Ask the students to identify an aspect of the site they think is special or

interesting and that they would like to tell others about. Depending on the site,

they may choose a tree (rata, rimu) an animal that lives in or near the area (sea

lions, fur seals, mohua or yellowhead) or something about the site itself such as

the view from a particular spot or even the weather. Allow 10-15 minutes for

them to walk around or sit and think about something they’d like to share with

others.

2. Once they have identified their subject, ask them to jot down some ideas and

sketches to make an interpretive sign which could be placed in the area to tell

others about it.

3. After they have done some planning, suggest they look at other interpretive signs

in the area. Ask them to think about and note down what works and what doesn’t.

For example, does the sign make you want to read it? Can you understand it? Is

the writing clear - too small, too big? What could be improved?

4. Back in the classroom, get the students to design their own sign from the notes

and sketches they have taken at the site.

ACTIVITY 6:

24

TRUE OR FALSE

Materials

• Question sheet

• Pen or pencil.

Method

1. Using the following examples, draw up a question sheet for distribution to the

class.

2. Working in pairs, ask the students to use the site to identify the correct response

to the questions.

3. Once they have completed the questions, go through the correct responses as a

class.

4. In their pairs, ask the students to draw up a list of five to ten questions about the

site which they can then exchange with another pair.

5. Allow 15-20 minutes for the students to gather their responses and check the

answers.

ACTIVITY 7:

Sample Questions

These questions have been prepared for use at Pounawea Nature Walk.

1. All trees have leaves T

2. It is okay to take plants from a reserve F

3. Native trees do not flower F

4. NZ native forest trees grow no more than 3 metres. F

5. Many small invertebrates live on or under leaves and on twigs, T

branches and trunks of trees

6. The forest floor contains dead leaves and dead tree branches which T

decay and provide food for plants to grow.

7. Wetlands and sand dunes are a great place to ride motorbikes F

because nothing lives there.

8. You’ll find both young seedlings and old trees in a healthy forest. T

9. All native trees have the same shape of leaves. F

10. There are plenty of kiwi in the bush and if you’re lucky you might F

see a moa.

25

ACTIVITY 8: REPORTING FROM THE CATLINS

Materials

• Tape recorder

• Paper

• Pen or pencil

Method

1 If students have carried out the pre-visit work on planning a documentary about

The Catlins they can now begin making their documentary. As well as interviews,

they could include sound effects like the water lapping on the shore, birdcalls,

sounds of people walking.

The reporter should also describe the setting for listeners so they can get a

picture of what it is like to be there.

2 Back at school get each group to play their recording to the class.

3 As a class, ask the students to talk about what they learnt in making their

programme.

26

RELATED RESOURCES

In planning your site visit, the following resources and websites may be of interest:

Allen, Ralph. (1994) Native Plants of Dunedin and its Environs, Otago Heritage

Books.

Beattie, James. (1995) Traditional Lifeways of the Southern Maori, University of

Otago Press.

Children of Earth and Sky: Maori Nature Traditions, Retold by Pita Graham, Bush

Press, 1995.

Crowe, Andrew. (1992) Which Native Tree? Penguin Books.

Crowe, Andrew. (1997) The Life-Size Guide to Native Trees, Penguin Books.

Dawson, John and Rob Lucas. (1996) New Zealand Coast and Mountain Plants,

Victoria University Press.

Department of Conservation (1996) A Directory of Wetlands in New Zealand.

Gaskin, Chris and Neville Peat. (1991) The World of Penguins, Hodder & Stoughton.

Grant, Elizabeth A. (1999) An Illustrated Guide to Some New Zealand Insect

Families, Maanaki Whenua Press.

Johnson, Peter and Pat Brooke. (1989) Wetland Plants in New Zealand, DSIR

Publishing, Wellington.

Learning Media. The Ancient Forests of New Zealand (video), Ministry of Education,

Wellington.

Life’s A Beach: A Coastal Resource Kit (includes video), Available from New Zealand

Association for Environmental Education, P O Box 6189, Wellington.

Malcolm, Bill and Nancy. (1989) The Forest Carpet, Craig Potton Publishing, 1989.

McKinlay, Bruce. (1995) The Distribution of Birds in Dunedin, Otago Branch OSNZ.

Riley, Murdoch. (1994) Maori Healing and Herbal, Viking Seven Seas New Zealand.

Wilson, Roger (1982) From Aramoana to Manapouri: The Battle for New Zealand’s

Environment, Earthworks Press, Auckland.

Video: Nugget Point: A Golden Future, available from DOC offices.

27

www.doc.govt.nz Tells you what the Department of Conservation does and has

general information about conservation and more about DOC sites, along with

resources for events like Sea Week, Conservation Week and Arbor Day.

www.nzaee.org.nz New Zealand Association for Environmental Education has a

comprehensive directory of sources of information available on-line.

www.converge.org.nz/eco ECO is an umbrella for environmental groups and has

links to these organisations at its website.

www.kiwirecovery.org.nz Find out what is happening in the efforts to save our

national symbol.

www.kakapo.org.nz Gives the latest on kakapo conservation.

www.forest-bird.org.nz New Zealand’s largest non- governmental conservation

group. Includes a club for primary school aged students.

www.learnz.org.nz An interactive site for tracking the progress of adventures in

some of our most interesting natural areas.

www.nztcv.massey.ac.nz New Zealand Trust for Conservation Volunteers gives

details of opportunities for voluntary work in the environmental area.

www.doc.govt.nz/cons.native.pikao_index.htm Direct link to Pikao information

sheets on DOC website.