Education update With winter, lockdown and school holidays it has been a quiet time for visitors up at the centre. However in the background things are simmering away and bookings are coming in steadily for term 4 (get in quick - December is filling up fast). Projects under way Developing the shade house for growing plants for the edible gardens Looking into running an outdoor first aid course for locals and other users to be run at the centre - especially now we have a defibrillator Developing educational units and resources especially focused on birds, adaptations, foodchains Developing a mindfulness walk What you [...]
Read MoreEducation News August 2021: Hilary Hurst INTRO Hi from Hilary -the new Educator at Manawahe. Christchurch born and bred, with 20 yrs in Palmy, I’ve now been in the Bay of Plenty for 10 years. I’m a semi-retired Science and Chemistry teacher with a strong interest in the outdoors, behaviour (human and animal) and kayaking. I’ve taught High School Science for 12 years and kayaking for over 20. I have also managed outdoor retail stores (including Alp Sports for those of you old enough to remember), competed in a few adventure races (Coast to Coast and Southern Traverse) and have completed a [...]
Read MoreEducator's Report It has been a busy month at the centre! • The roll out of the traps at Whakatane Intermediate is finished. The map of the traps is located on the Halo website. Halo are now linking in with the school to start logging the data. The number of rats caught so far is quite amazing. A Kotuku has been spotted on the lagoon in the last week. Connecting the beautiful native birds to the trapping programme is incredibly important. • Otakiri School year 4/5 came to the centre for their second visit this year. [...]
Read MoreEducator’s Report The roll out of the 160 rat traps that Whakatane Intermediate made at the centre has been great. So many rats have been caught in the traps. The students have been really into the project and have created some pretty cool trap designs. The roll out of the traps at Whakatane Intermediate has been great. We are half way through and already the rats and mice that are being caught is incredible. The students are really engaged in the learning. We had an article in the Beacon in regard to the programme and I have sent a message [...]
Read MoreEducator’s Report Term 1 at the centre has been amazing with school groups most days. Key points 19 Intermediate classes have visited the centre. The programme has been amazing with great feedback from the teachers and the students. The follow up is myself and Gaia Ohare from Halo going into the school during the first week of next term to set the traps. Otakiri school: We had Otakiri year 2/3 visit for a day. This was their first trip up to the centre. The focus for them was on nativie birds and pests. It was a busy but fun day. The [...]
Read More
Development Coordinator’s Report As we move into winter the two conservation groups, the Kokako trust and the Manawahe Ecotrust have both just completed their rodent monitors in the almost 1000Ha bush block running from McIvor road up to the top of the cell tower. The combined rat tracking index was less than 2% tracking which is an excellent result given that 5% is the standard target to allow successful kokako breeding. There is now a huge conservation effort being put into the Manawahe corridor by landowners and volunteers supported by both trusts. From McIvor road to Matata there are now around [...]
Read MoreThe Manawahe Ecological Community Centre has been buzzing with students since week 2 of the school term. Whakatane Intermediate school have taken on an exciting project. All 20 of the school classes are visiting for a day to learn about the importance of protecting our birds and bush and why we need to be doing pest control. Each class is making 8 rat traps to take back to their school to set up an extensive backyard trapping programme around the Awatapu Lagoon and the Riverside drive river bank area. The students will learn how to monitor a trap line, and then [...]
Read More
Education update I have been busy preparing for the schools that are visiting in term 1, which includes 23 classes from Whakatane Intermediate, Otakiri School, Awakeri School and Awhina boys programme from Rotorua. The programme will involve building tunnel rat traps, talking about pests and trapping and looking at the trap line at the Centre. We will also be doing an environmental challenge and a beach clean up at Lake Rotoma with the Intermediate students. The term is going to be very busy; it will be great to have so many students pass through the Centre and be part of the programme. The [...]
Read More
Manawahe Eco Trust Environmental Education programme. It has been a busy month up at the centre. Work has started again in the food forest, there are all sorts of interesting gardens and plantings. February should be a great time for harvesting food. This month has had the following groups visit: Awakeri year 3/4’s: This group of students came up for day trip that started at 9am and finished at 7.30pm. We managed to fit a 2-day programme into one long day. The group started at Karaponga reserve with a trip to the falls, the students then made amazing insect houses, did a [...]
Read More
New Administrator for the MET Kia ora, my name is Hannah Flatman and I am very excited to have joined the Manawahe Eco Trust working part-time as the administrator. I come from a conservation background, having worked for DOC as a biodiversity ranger for 7 years and more recently working for the Whakatāne Kiwi Trust. I’m looking forward to being a part of all the great work that the MET undertakes at the education centre! Education report from the Manawahe Eco trust It has been great to have the centre buzzing again with students over the last two weeks. Over 190 students have been [...]
Read More