Students dig in for conservation
Hills to harbour education gets hands on
4000 native plants went in the ground, 400 sausages were eaten, and hundreds of worms were counted recently by western BOP students on Katikati farms. A collaborative initiative by Project Parore and Bay Conservation Alliance (BCA) saw local students involved in planting and other soil and conservation related activities during educational field trips.
“This year, Project Parore will plant approximately 100,000 native plants to slow erosion and stop sediment from reaching Tauranga Harbour."
The sessions ran over seven days on private properties where farmers and growers are retiring and restoring areas of land and also included a site behind the Western Bay Museum.
Project Parore is a catchment group that works in partnership with funders, community and landowners on projects to enhance the environment from Aongatete to Athenree.
Alongside the planting, the students completed activities on the impact of sediment and pest control on our wildlife and waterways. The students also learned how to carry out a simple visual soil assessment, checking the porosity and structure of the soil and counting the worms to show how healthy it is.
These assessments were done on different parts of the farm to compare muddy areas, paddocks compacted by animals and under fence lines. The students found that healthy soil with more worms was mainly on the edge of paddocks or less used parts of the farm.
Of the 171 native earthworms in Aotearoa, many are endangered or completely missing from areas they once thrived in.
Restoring biodiversity by creating more native bush areas on farms will help to enhance habitat for our underground native creatures. “Supporting Project Parore with their planting was a great way to share with our schools the great work that is happening on farms in the conservation space. When students have the chance to take part, they see they have a role to play in the big environmental issues. It can be as easy as setting a trap and planting a tree,” said Janie Stevenson, BCA Education Manager.
Over 400 students from local schools attended, including Pahoia, Whakamarama, Omokoroa No.1, Omokoroa Point, Te Puna, Waihi Beach Schools and Katikati College.
The senior primary and intermediate students are part of the BCA Nature Education Programme.
The ‘mountains to sea’ modules provide an in-class lesson and field trip on a different ecosystem each term.
A highlight of the field trips for some students was a visit to the Western Bay Museum and nibbles from eels in a pond on the Silson property.
Next year the programme will run again with a special focus on wetlands.