Scientific voyage to Kermadecs
Amanawatu¯ teacher on a scientific voyage to the remote Kermadec Islands-rangita¯hua hopes to bring new skills back to the classroom.
Monrad Intermediate School teacher Niki Burtenshaw left Auckland on Monday on a Royal New Zealand Navy ship, the HMNZS Canterbury, as part of Blake Inspire’s expeditions programme. They return next week.
The islands are about 1000km northeast of New Zealand and are one of New Zealand’s largest protected marine reserves.
Burtenshaw is part of a crew of 15 students and teachers from across the country who have previously been part of Blake
Inspire programmes.
They will work with scientists from Massey University, NIWA and Auckland Museum, learning about marine research and leadership development.
A lot of the work, including collecting data samples, will be new to Burtenshaw. “We’re working with marine biologists to look at how this opportunity could be taken back into the classroom at school.
“It’s really to try and teach as many students about the ocean and impact climate change is having on the area.
“It’s quite an isolated area, so there may be an unfound species. That’s what I’mreally interested in.”
Ways of monitoring rivers was one thing she hoped she would be
DAVID UNWIN/STUFF
able to apply to work she does in the classroom.
She was looking forward to working with specialists in their field. They are likely to have more tools than she does at school.
“We’re being around people who work in the field like the scientists and the navy, that’s not what I do, I’ma teacher.
“It will be really neat to experience, but also to be able to contribute to the funding and data.
“I’mnot a scientist, it’s just a passion of mine. I’ma broad primary teacher, not a high school science teacher.”
Her pupils will be able to follow her progress in an online blog.
She said the Blake Trust gave people learning opportunities they might not get otherwise.