Te Puke High School team up with MOWS for study programme

Students from Te Puke High School analyse pest animal tracks.

Students from Te Puke High School have got stuck into vital environmental volunteer work early this year with the help of Maketū Ongatoro Wetland Society (MOWS).

Every year, the school's science teachers work alongside the MOWS education team to create real-life learning experiences where students can practice environmental skills in the field and develop knowledge of the special habitats that are local to their school.

MOWS also invites local experts from other organisations to share their knowledge and expertise.

This term, students from the Year 12 Earth and Space Science class have focused on the impact of pest animals in the New Zealand forest.

They studied the tracking tunnel results over the past three years from Te Whakakaha Trust at Otawa Scenic Reserve to look for patterns in the pest data.

This was followed by a field trip to retrieve tracking cards and volunteer for the trust by running a trapline in the Otawa Forest.

Bay Conservation Alliance operations manager Emma Cronin helped the students to deepen their understanding during this unit.

Student Weely Ng said he really enjoyed re-setting some traps and checking out the animals that came across the ink pads.

"This field trip was better than in-class learning because we could interact more and use the traps. I liked helping out," he said.

Students surveying the rocky shore.

Three classes of Year 11 science students also enjoyed a fun day on the beach in Maketū this term, investigating how to survey kaimoana on the rocky shore and in the estuary.

As part of the local curriculum, students have been studying Kaitiakitanga and looked at the size and distribution of species in their rohe to ensure there is sustainable supply.

Local kaitiaki Elaine Tapsell from Maketū Taiapure Trust helped to guide students through the monitoring process in the estuary.

They were joined by the Year 12 biology students who were focused on the inter-relationships and adaptations of the species on the rocky shore, such as little black mussels, chitons and barnacles.

The focus of terms 2 and 3 will be on the importance of the wetland habitat and the native birds and fish that live there.

The Year 12 Earth and Space Science students will create a wetland plan for restoring a part of Tumu Kawa wetland near Kaituna River, constructed recently from what was a farm paddock.

They will be researching the different native plants that would create habitat for native species like matuku hūrepo (Australasian bittern) and inanga and will develop a planting plan for the area. As in previous years, the students will plant 600 native plants to put their plans into action.

MOWS has been working with Te Puke High School for the past four years and has expanded the programme each year to include more classes.

Western BOP District Council, TECT and BayTrust provide funding for the programme and the council has recently increased its support to reflect the growth and success of the work happening with Te Puke High School.

"A highlight for me last year was to hear that a Year 13 student was applying to do environmental studies at university because the wetland planting inspired her," said MOWS education officer Janie Stevenson. "That really confirmed that the programme is encouraging students into environmental careers."