There were probably more children than dragonflies buzzing around a special sanctuary in Onerahi during an outdoor nature lesson.
A total of 202 Whangarei Primary School pupils visited the Dragonfly Springs Wetland Sanctuary on Tuesday, where they were shown around the area that 10 years ago was little more than a flood-prone area of open drains and illegal rubbish dumps.
Jeremy Busck and Pamela Winter have turned the low lying site into Dragonfly Springs Wetlands Sanctuary, a well-planted nature reserve where fresh water springs, drainage and a pond system support a range of wildlife.
Photographer John Stone joined the children on the morning visit.