Embracing conservation
New Zealand is on its way to raising a generation of conservationists.
Conservation Week, from October 14 to 22, would result in more than 23,000 children across 800 classrooms spending at least an hour each day learning about conservation. More than 100 schools in Auckland would participate and 20 in central Auckland. It would teach kids between years five and 10 about native birds and what effect pests had on them.
Squawk Squad co-founder Fraser McConnell said the goal was to foster more conservation engagement to help make New Zealand predator free.
‘‘Our birds are dying and it won’t get any better until more people take part in it,’’ McConnell said.
Forest and Bird estimated 25 million native birds were killed every year by pests like rats, possums and stoats, and 80 per cent of our native species were in trouble.
Last year the Government set a target to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050, formally adopting a target to eradicate all pests that threatened New Zealand’s native birds.
‘‘The kids are so important. At a grass roots level they can educate their whanau and they’re the ones who are going to be around in 2050,’’ McConnell said.
Kids would make paper tunnels to track rats, practise bird watching and identify different bird species, and analyse predator control methods.
‘‘Our birds are dying and it won't get any better until more people take part in it.’’
Fraser McConnell