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Start trapping in your school - an overview

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Start trapping in your school - an overview

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We've created a guide to help create school environments where our unique native species can thrive.

Introduction

Before getting started, it's important to understand New Zealand's unique ecological context, the reasons we need to make Aotearoa predator free and the crucial role children play in this vision. Make sure children and anyone who is teaching this content know about our predator free fundamentals outlined in the Get Involved section.

A couple of things to consider:

1. IDENTIFY your goal

The first step in any introduced predator control program should be defining a goal or purpose.

Try making a clear statement of what you want your classroom to achieve; do they want to see more native birds nesting in your trees on the school grounds? Get rid of the rat from the school compost bin? Save the fruit trees in the school garden from the possums? Or encourage lizards to live in your grounds? Each goal will be unique to the area you and your children are trapping in.

Once you know what you and your class want to achieve, then consider which introduced predators you need to control so you can choose the best method for that predator.

How will you know if you have been successful in your efforts? It may be that the number of target predator species have decreased since you started your control, there's lots more fruit on your fruit trees, there's more native wildlife present and/or more native plant growth.

2. IDENTIFY what lives at your school

It may seem like a silly statement but it's important to know what's currently living around your school so you can measure the change over time. You should aim to find out what species you want to protect and which ones you want to remove.

3. TRAP - use traps/devices that are humane

4. RECORD what you are doing

It's important to record what you are doing so you have information to refer back to if you decide to change how you do things. It's also useful for monitoring your trapping progress.

Good record-keeping will also help your school year group pass on information of your predator control efforts over to future students to replicate.

We suggest you use this trapping data recording form or create your own to record the following:

What equipment you are using e.g. Victor Professional rat trap

Where you've placed your equipment

How often you check, clear and reset/rebait your equipment

What lures/baits you are using.

If any of this changes through a season or year, record when, how and why.

5. MEASURE results

It is important to take measurements regularly to see if your program is achieving its goal or not. Define how you will measure your success early on.

As well as counting the number of predators caught, it is important to know how many are left at the end of your predator control efforts.

Here are some of the ways you can do this:

Rats

Use tracking cards and tunnels before and after your control programme and record the differences

Complete regular bird counts to help monitor populations over time. You can also look out for fledged broods of fantails. Young fantails are darker than adults and will remain in a family group for several weeks. Seeing such groups is an excellent indicator of effective ship rat control.

Mustelids (stoats, ferrets & weasels)

Possums

Use wax tags before and after your program and record the differences.

Annual observations of possum.

Complete regular bird counts.

Monitor fruit trees for fewer bite marks

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Before getting started, it's important to understand New Zealand's unique ecological context, the reasons we need to make Aotearoa predator free and the crucial role children play in this vision. Make sure children and anyone who is teaching this content know about our predator free fundamentals outlined in the Get Involved section.

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The Action Learning Cycle encourages participation and critical thinking, and is a wonderful tool to support collective learning. It encourages a process of investigation and learning (Identify the Current Situation), exploration and prioritising (Explore Alternatives), making changes (Take Action) and reflection and celebration (Reflect on Change). This padlet is structured on the Action Learning Cycle.

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Key Concept A:  Habitats are places to live - Living Landscapes have spaces for all the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku

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Key Concept A:  Habitats are places to live - Living Landscapes have spaces for all the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku

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Key Concept 1 - Habitats are places to live; Living Landscapes have spaces for all the children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku

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Key Concept B: Our Enviroschool is part of an ecosystem

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Key Concept B: Our Enviroschool is part of an ecosystem

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Key Concept 2 - Our Enviroschool is part of an ecosystem

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Key Concept C: Whenua is the land that nourishes life

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Key Concept C: Whenua is the land that nourishes life

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Key Concept 3 - Whenua is the land that nourishes life

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Key Concept D: People value and change landscapes in different ways

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Key Concept D: People value and change landscapes in different ways

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Key Concept 4 - People value and change landscapes in different ways

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Key Concept E: Co-creating and caring for Living Landscapes

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Key Concept E: Co-creating and caring for Living Landscapes

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Key Concept 5 - Co-creating and caring for Living Landscapes

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Tatuanui -creating a diverse school ground ecosystem

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Tatuanui -creating a diverse school ground ecosystem

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Adrienne Grant, Enviroschools Waikato team with help from Tatuanui School

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Dedicated to diverse schoolground ecosystem

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Students at Tatuanui have been busy caring for a special place within their school grounds. Their native bush has had the dedicated attention of a new wave of learners keen to be green.

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Activities and resources to help monitor what you have in your school

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Activities and resources to help monitor what you have in your school

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We’ve collected some great activities to help our native species thrive at your school, including restoration projects and making chew cards.

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Questions to explore with students

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Big Picture Thinking - Living Landscapes

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We are committed to making NZ Predator Free. Click to learn more...

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Conservation Education Resources

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Teaching resources for learning in nature

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Find resources to support conservation teaching and learning, and DOC supported education programmes you can get involved in.

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Have you got a plant, insect or something else you want to identify? -iNaturalist NZ is a citizen science platform where actual scientists will verify your find. It's a living record of life in Aotearoa–New Zealand that scientists and environmental managers can use to monitor changes in biodiversity, and that anyone can use to learn more about New Zealand’s amazing natural history.

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iNaturalist NZ is a social network for naturalists! Record your observations of plants and animals,
share them with friends and researchers, and learn about the natural world.

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Bugman, Ruud Kleinpaste takes to the mountains to explore how our health, well-being, and survival depend on the health, well-being and survival of our planet's ecosystems. From the mountains, rivers and forests to the water we drink and the food we eat, everything is connected and everything, from the tiniest of bugs, has a role to play -- including us

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The Big Picture: A Department of Conservation education programme

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Use your detective skills and help us track down pests like rats, stoats and mice by building a tracking tunnel.

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Explore your local environment with DOC resources

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Explore your local environment with DOC resources

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Experience birds, invertebrates and plants in your local environment.

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Teaching resources for learning in nature

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Find resources to support conservation teaching and learning, and DOC supported education programmes you can get involved in.

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These three maps show the dramatic loss of native forest cover in NZ. Before human settlement, about 80% New Zealand was covered in forest.

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New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

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This map shows forest coverage before human settlement. Around 80% of the New Zealand archipelago was covered in forest.

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New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

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The New Zealand bush did not provide as much food as forests in tropical Polynesia. Significant bush clearance went on in the North and South islands, usually by burning. This was to clear land for horticulture and also to promote the growth of aruhe (fern root).

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In 2005, after more than 150 years of logging, native forest covered just 24.8% of New Zealand. Most of it was in reserves. Planted exotic forest covered 7.7% of the land. Because of the decline of native habitat and the introduction of pests, native biodiversity has reduced. This is why New Zealand has such a large number of threatened species. Just remember, if you see pasture, before human settlement, it was either forest, wetland!

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New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga

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In 2005, after more than 150 years of logging, native forest covered just 24.8% of New Zealand. Most of it was in reserves. Planted exotic forest covered 7.7% of the land.

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A learning resource that encourages teachers and learners to explore mātauranga Māori values, observe te taiao, and take action for a better world.

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Ko au te taiao: Recognising that we are nature through mātauranga Māori values and the collections at Te Papa | Te Papa

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Recognising we are nature through mātauranga Māori and Te Papa’s Collections Online.

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What is biodiversity - a global perspective 

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What is biodiversity - a global perspective 

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Retelling the story of humans and nature - Damon Gameau/ TED talk

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Retelling the story of humans and nature - Damon Gameau/ TED talk

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Ecological collapse is one of the greatest challenges of our times. We've long looked to science, politics and business for solutions, but perhaps we also need to be looking to storytelling. What role do stories play in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss? Can we tell a new, but old, story about humans and nature that will reshape our world for the better? A powerful TED Talk by Damon Gameau - creator of the documentary 2040 and "That Sugar Film".

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Retelling the story of humans and nature | Damon Gameau | TEDxSydney

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Predator Control in New Zealand, why it is necessary and how you can be part of the Predator Free 2050 vision.

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Predator Free 2050 - What is it and why is it important?

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Predator Free 2050 - What is it and why is it important?

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Aotearoa New Zealand has a biodiversity crisis. We have the highest rate of threatened indigenous species in the world.

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Making New Zealand predator free by 2050 is an audacious goal that aims to remove rats, mustelids and possums from the country.

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Once you know which predators you’re dealing with, it’s time to select your backyard trap and start trapping. All the traps we recommend are humane.

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How to use a T-Rex

Watch this video on how to safely set your T-Rex trap.

Top tips

Always wear gloves when handling your trap or catches.

Before opening the tunnel, you can give it a shake to disable the trap inside (if there is no catch).

If you catch something, squeeze the back end to release the jaws. Double bag the catch and put it with your household rubbish or bury it in the garden. Keep a record of your catches!

Bait traps with peanut butter, chocolate, nuts or mayonnaise. Remove old manky bait and refresh often.

All snapback rat traps should be inside a tunnel, and the trap orientated towards the target for an effective and humane kill.

Make sure you place the trap at the back of the tunnel (opposite the small entrance hole), away from potential small fingers and non-target species. You will need a special long tunnel in areas where weka are present.

Place your trap where you have seen evidence of rats or in a sheltered place along a fenceline, hedge or building.

Check your traps every couple of days until you're getting results and the catch rate goes down, then check every two to three weeks. The more rats in the area, the more checks you will need to do.

Troubleshooting

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The T-Rex rat trap is an affordable and easy to use trap that is great for any backyard. The trap sits in a long wooden box, so it's safe for children and pets.

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Trap NZ helps you record and understand your predator control and biodiversity data. Many schools around the motu are using this app to record data.

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Create a safe haven for your 'dinosaurs' - build a wētā motel!

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Is your school on the map?

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Discover the extent of predator control being undertaken throughout the country by local community groups, hapū/iwi and private landowners as well as DOC, OSPRI and regional councils.

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Exploring nature and biodiversity - lesson plans and activities

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Exploring nature and biodiversity - lesson plans and activities

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Exploring nature

The following lesson plans have a focus on exploring the natural environment.

Experiencing native trees in your green space. Image credit: DOC.

Restoration through the seasons. Image credit: DOC

Investigating issues and taking action

The following lesson plans encourage the children to focus on an issue and work towards a solution.

Ethical toolkit. Image credit: Waikato University

Conservation dogs. Image credit: DOC

Enhancing biodiversity. Image credit: DOC

Can we make NZ Pest Free? Inquiry Unit for Years 4-8, Levels 1-4. This inquiry journey will allow students to be actively involved in improving New Zealand's biodiversity through such actions as data collection, introduced predator control, wildlife monitoring and community engagement.

Ethics thinking toolkit. This toolkit provides a structured framework for scaffolding student thinking about an ethical issue. Before students attempt using the Ethics thinking toolkit, it is recommended that you explore the ethical issue and ethical thinking with your students to establish a foundation for informed decision making.

Ethics and bird conservation. A case study provides an example of introducing ethical thinking into the classroom to explore a controversial issue in science.

Conservation dogs programme. Inquiry unit for Levels: 1-4. Use this resource to learn about conservation dogs and their role in Predator Free 2050.

Possum Picnic. When the 'possums' go on a picnic, the 'trees' had better watch out. Which will you be in this action role-play game - a hungry possum or a slow-moving tree?

The how and why of possum control (PDF, 2MB). National Pest Control Agencies have developed a Teachers' Booklet to assist with planning a unit of work based on possums and associated issues. The accompanying Students' Booklet can be used as part of teacher planned study.

Special species

We've collated resources from around NZ about our unique and special species.

Mahoenui wētā. Unit for Levels: 3-4. Find out how the wētā evolved, why it's threatened and how we are protecting this ancient insect. This resource is supported by Meet the Locals episode Mahoenui wētā.

Tāiko/black petrel education resource. Inquiry unit for Levels: 2-4. This resource is an integrated unit of teaching and learning material about the tāiko/black petrel and other seabirds, for use in primary schools.

A bird in the hand. Unit for Levels: 3-4. Explore the features of some of our most endangered birds and the recovery programmes, techniques and technology that is helping them survive. This resource is supported by Meet the Locals episodes; Takahē , Takahē Release , Tiritiri Matangi , Meet the Kākāpō , Saving the Kākāpō, Black Robin , Kōkako, Kōkako Translocation, Toroa.

Kākāpō Recovery. A classroom activity for Levels 1-4 to learn about one of New Zealand's most endangered species.

Morepork Education Kit. Image credit: Sabine Bernert Wingspan.

What is a kākāpō? Image credit: DOC.

Whio Forever. Inquiry unit that covers years 1-8. This classroom ready resource is broken into Junior and Senior levels and covers all aspects of the endangered whio / blue duck and how to help them.

Science Learning Hub Conserving Native Birds Unit Plan. A science unit plan for levels 3-4 based around the evolution of our native birds and various conservation methods.

Tūī Education Kit (PDF, 1.3 MB). Level 3 programme focusing on tūī and their importance in New Zealand. Developed by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust for Canterbury schools.

Morepork Education Kit (PDF, 1.5 MB). Level 2 programme focusing on morepork and their importance in New Zealand. Developed by the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust for Canterbury schools.

Blue Penguins. Year 10 ecology curriculum on Blue Penguins, teacher notes and lesson plans.

Tips for teachers

We've collated a couple of resources for teachers to help them teach in the classroom.

Slideshows

What is that animal pest? (PPT, 11.7 MB) - there's a mystery to be solved. This presentation from DOC provides signs and descriptions of pests - the 'clues' you need to identify the animal involved.

Methods of predator control - this Science Learning Hub presentation allows students to consider some of the pros and cons of various methods of predator control in NZ. What's good? What's not? What do you think about the different methods and issues involved?

Tawaki, Marathon Penguins - researchers have been studying the tawaki (Fiordland Crested Penguin), one of the world's rarest penguins. Their findings have been summarised and presented in a clever cartoon by Giselle Clarkson.

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The following lesson plans have a focus on exploring the natural environment. The following lesson plans encourage the children to focus on an issue and work towards a solution. Can we make NZ Pest Free? Inquiry Unit for Years 4-8, Levels 1-4.

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A guide to interpreting the tracks of small animals, lizards and insects

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Quickly identify what pests you have on your property

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Chew cards are a useful tool to quickly identify which introduced predators (e.g. rodents, possums, stoats, etc.) are on your property.

What are they used for?

Chew cards are made of corflute card filled with a lure that is attractive to predators. They can be used to identify rats, stoats, possums and hedgehogs. Animals chew the card and their teeth marks help to identify them - and you can then purchase the right traps and baits to target them.

Chew cards are also a useful way of identifying where predators are on your property and where to place your traps or bait stations.

You can use them as a way to monitor the effectiveness of your predator control programme (see our section ' Is your predator control working? ').

What's in them - do they contain toxins?

Chew cards are non-toxic.

The formula may vary depending on which brand you choose (or if you make them yourself). Some brands have a highly palatable formulation while others use long-life lures - both types come in paste form and are non-toxic. If kept in a warm, dry place the shelf life can be up to 12 months. There are also chew cards made with peanut essence for people with peanut allergies.

Where can I get them?

A chew card in the field. Image: Birdlife Centre of New Zealand.

Where should I put them?

Start by placing them in areas where you have seen evidence of introduced predators (droppings, eaten plants etc). Along a fence line, near compost or rubbish bins, and/or at the base of trees are good places to start.

Predators will only investigate food - and therefore a trap - in places where they feel safe, so don't put cards in an open space. For comprehensive instructions on setting up chew card lines over large land areas, see page 28 of DOC's A practical guide to trapping (PDF, 6.4 MB).

How do I secure the chew cards?

First, name and/or number each card so you can record individual results. How to secure them depends on which product you purchase, but in most cases you nail or screw them to a tree or post. Instructions are generally provided with the product or check out the manufacturer's website for more detailed instructions.

OPBG volunteers deploying chew cards to monitor the presence of animal pests on the Otago Peninsula

How do I read the results?

If predators are biting the chew cards you will see their teeth marks on the card. Instructions provided with the product (or on the manufacturer's website) will help you to identify the teeth marks. Or you can use Manaaki Whenua's " Guide to the interpretation of animal tooth impressions " to identify them.

What next?

Once you know which introduced predators are present you can buy a trap and get trapping. Do some research to find the trap that best suits your budget and capability. Some people are comfortable handling predators and others are not. There are a variety of different trap options available. For more information, see our trapping and baiting toolkit.

If you are using chew cards to monitor changes then you should record your results. Jot down information such as the location and date, predator activity and weather conditions. Keeping a record means you can see how results compare year to year.

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Chew cards are made of corflute card filled with a lure that is attractive to predators. They can be used to identify rats, stoats, possums and hedgehogs. Animals chew the card and their teeth marks help to identify them - and you can then purchase the right traps and baits to target them.

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You can do this any time of the year to find out which birds are at your school.

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25 June - 3 July 2022

Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa - The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey

Make our birds count

We need you to help make a difference

Healthy bird populations can indicate that the environment is healthy. We know lots about endangered native birds in the bush, but we don't always know what's happening in the populations of all the birds around us, particularly in urban and garden environments.

That's why we need you to help us count them.

What we learn from information about the birds in your garden collected by you and your fellow citizen scientists helps our researchers make decisions to protect our environment. It also tells us if what we are doing in areas such as predator control is working.

The 2022 survey starts in

Take part in the 2022 NZ Garden Bird Survey "

All you need is one hour, on one day, from 25th June to the 3rd July 2022.

Get your students engaged in science and nature for the day.

Thank you to our long-term supporters

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Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa - The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey Healthy bird populations can indicate that the environment is healthy. We know lots about endangered native birds in the bush, but we don't always know what's happening in the populations of all the birds around us, particularly in urban and garden environments.

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Identifying introduced predators in your green space - learning resource for teachers

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Identifying introduced predators in your green space - learning resource for teachers

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Investigating introduced predators in your green space

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Use this resource to investigate introduced predators in your school grounds or another local green space.

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Kids Greening Taupō - education resources and activities

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Kids Greening Taupō - education resources and activities

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Kids Greening Taupō | Learning Through Nature

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Nature Connectors are a free collection of ideas and activities, in English and te reo Māori, to connect you to nature in your local green space, backyard, or school. Our vision is to have a one-stop-shop of free, easy to use, activities to pick up and run with. We have added ideas for extending and adapting each one for use with different ages and in different environments. We have also added supporting resources, links, printables and videos. You will also find information about New Zealand's plants and animals, and how to protect them here.

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Education Resources and Activities - Kids Greening Taupō | Learning Through Nature

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Free resources and activities to connect children with nature, and help them learn about conservation and the unique flora and fauna of Aotearoa.

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Create log piles in your ngahere for biodiversity

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Create log piles in your ngahere for biodiversity

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While this is a northern hemisphere example, the principles are the same. Layering up sticks and branches into a pile, creates habitat for insects and other invertebrates- vital parts of the food web.

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How to create a log pile. Gardening for Biodiversity series.

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Environmental monitoring – ao Māori perspectives

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Our activities on the land have wide-ranging effects on Aotearoa New Zealand’s diverse ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. Our land 2024 is an environmental report produced by the Ministry…

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New Zealand has the highest number of threatened species in the world.

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New Zealand has the highest number of threatened species in the world.

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As world leaders continue negotiations at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, several agreements reached so far have acknowledged the connection between climate change and the global loss of biodiversity.

Half a world away, we might feel somewhat smug. Almost a third of Aotearoa New Zealand is protected as conservation land, but we nevertheless have the highest number of threatened species worldwide, with 79% of birds, bats, reptiles and frogs at risk of or threatened with extinction.

The threat to wildlife is entirely due to human impacts, including the introduction of mammal predators and land-use practices that threaten Indigenous biodiversity.

Despite more than 40,000 people in 600 community conservation groups working throughout the country, these efforts and gains are tenuous, not yet arresting the decline in biodiversity.

Surveys show New Zealanders are increasingly aware of the state of our environment, but knowledge on its own does not spur action.

We suggest mātauranga Māori, a traditional system of understanding the natural world, could help take people from awareness to action.

Te Mana o te Taiao is New Zealand's national biodiversity strategy and lays out conservation priorities for the next three decades. It promotes the braiding of Western science and mātauranga Māori and emphasises a focus on people as much as the environment.

Regular surveys show a marked shift in public perception of the state of New Zealand's environment. Twenty years ago, a majority believed the environment was in good health, but today, most people believe it is in poor health.

The survey also asks if respondents had participated in environmental advocacy or volunteer work, but the percentage of people who have has remained steady over two decades.

Read more: Why Indigenous knowledge should be an essential part of how we govern the world's oceans

From awareness to action

People feel increasingly disconnected from the natural world for a few key reasons, including:

a rise of individualism and the erosion of community

distraction by technology and entertainment

increasing urbanisation and inequality leading to an "extinction of experience"

poorer urban populations with fewer opportunities to connect with nature.

Awareness alone does not spur action, but research shows people who feel more connected with nature have a stronger sense of environmental responsibility.

If we wish to ensure the survival of our Indigenous biodiversity, we need to ask how we get from awareness to action. Indigenous peoples have played a strong role in conserving biodiversity over many centuries, and mātauranga Māori could hold some answers.

Read more: Indigenous knowledge and the persistence of the 'wilderness' myth

There are three main strands to how mātauranga Māori can turn knowledge into action.

1. Ecological science has increased our understanding of the inter-connectedness of ecosystems and has brought us closer to a mātauranga Māori concept of human relationships with the natural world. Within this concept, if the environment is not in good health, people can't be in good health either. Seeing ourselves as inter-connected and inter-dependent with the natural world engenders reciprocity and care for the natural world.

2. By embedding values and beliefs into facts, knowledge becomes more memorable, meaningful and relatable. This helps people to form an identity of belonging within the natural world and a connection to place. We are far more likely to care for a place if we feel a connection to it.

3. Awareness of our inter-connections and dependence on the natural world helps us see the dissonance between stewardship and practices that threaten other species.

Community conservation as the answer

Community conservation groups could play a central role in achieving New Zealand's national biodiversity strategy through use of mātauranga Māori concepts.

Ecosanctuaries like Zealandia already provide opportunities to connect with the natural world, through education and volunteering. There are more than 80 sanctuaries throughout the country, providing opportunities for people to acquaint themselves with the natural world and become involved in conservation activities.

Ecosanctuaries demonstrate environmental restoration is possible and conservation is everyone's responsibility, not just the role of the state. They effectively build a constituency for conservation within the community.

Zealandia identifies its role as an enabler of transformation in the way people engage with the natural world. Their 20-year strategy emphasises mātauranga Māori and inspiring change through shared passion.

The biodiversity strategy is fundamentally about people [...] the task that we have in front of us is fundamentally about changing the way people value the natural world.

Māori continually straddle two worlds, navigating the Māori world view and the Tauiwi (Western) world. Non-Māori rarely step into the Māori world, and its unfamiliarity can cause discomfort.

Incorporating mātauranga Māori should not mean appropriating knowledge from Māori or glossing over legitimate Māori grievances. Instead, being able to hold two world views can be likened to gaining binocular vision - people discern more depth and detail than by seeing the world through a single lens.

To maintain and improve our biodiversity, we need to practise conservation everywhere rather than only in conservation spaces. Embracing mātauranga Māori concepts could help New Zealanders to develop an identity of ecological belonging to become better kaitiaki (guardians) of our biodiversity.
This article is based on a presentation given at a Sanctuaries of New Zealand workshop earlier this year on the theme of iwi and conservation.

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How Māori knowledge could help New Zealanders turn their concern for the environment into action

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As world leaders continue negotiations at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, several agreements reached so far have acknowledged the connection between climate change and the global loss of biodiversity. Half a world away, we might feel somewhat smug.

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Our māramatanga Māori resources are a growing collection that we envision will deepen understanding and further highlight mātauranga me . These can be found under the māramatanga tab within existing articles. The resources listed below are some examples:

Earth systems and climate change - a Māori perspective of the natural world recognises that non-human parts of the environment have and are considered and with inherent rights, value and agency.

Climate change and impacts on biodiversity - when the mauri of the atmosphere and climate is unbalanced, it affects all other systems in te , including people.

Living or non-living? - Māori understanding of this concept acknowledges the whakapapa (interconnectedness) and mauri of all things.

Pōhā - rokiroki kai - pātaka kai were elevated storehouses used by Māori to protect and preserve valuable food sources.

You can easily view a māramatanga Māori insight by selecting the māramatanga Māori tab button on the right-hand side.

To go back to the original resource - just select the highlighted Māramatanga Māori tab.

This collection, as well as the existing mātauranga Māori content, provides a broad scope of articles, interactive tools, activities and videos from te ao Māori. The terms mātauranga and māramatanga are reo Māori terms that relate to knowledge and understanding. They have distinct meanings that are reflected in these resources. In essence, mātauranga is knowledge itself, while māramatanga is the enlightenment or deeper understanding that comes from knowledge.

Māramatanga Māori as a concept collates resources that are carefully selected to incorporate perspectives and mātauranga from te ao Māori, ensuring that learning experiences are rich, inclusive and reflective of Māori knowledge systems. Māramatanga Māori supports deeper engagement with Māori world views across various subjects, fostering a more culturally responsive approach to education.

The Māori world view is - it acknowledges the intrinsic connection between the atmosphere, climate and the entire environmental system, including the interdependencies between people and their environment.

Our atmosphere and climate 2023

This collection of resources serves as a valuable tool for educators and learners alike, offering insights into Māori ways of knowing, being and doing. The inclusion of interactive elements and engaging activities encourages active participation, helping to make Māori perspectives more accessible and meaningful. Through māramatanga Māori, learners can develop a greater appreciation for indigenous knowledge while building connections between science, and history. This approach not only enhances understanding but also strengthens respect for the unique contributions of te ao Māori to learning and discovery.

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Our māramatanga Māori resources are a growing collection that we envision will deepen understanding and further highlight mātauranga me te ao Māori. These can be found under the māramatanga tab within...

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Enviroschools theme area mihi translations

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Enviroschools theme area mihi translations

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Enviroschools Rangi and Papa mihi - translations.docx

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Otaua School Rat Rangers have been going for over 10 years. Here's a video they made back in 2019. Each year new students join the team and are taught how to look after the trapline by the experienced students. They are very proud of the mahi they are doing!

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Otaua Rat Rangers 2019 
 Amazing video eidtor: Windows Movie Maker, split,rotate,add subtitle, effects, music etc. You can download from https://www.topwin-movie-maker.com/

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NZ Geographic article about the restoration of gullies in Hamilton.

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A story that proves we can change the world, one manky strip of city at a time.