Enviro-schools Hui 2014

This year the Enviro-schools Hui was held in Te Anau.  Gore Main School were lucky enough to get 8 children to the Hui.  We managed to get there safely after some bus sickness and a rock hitting the window screen!  The day began at the Te Anau Wildlife Park. We were welcomed and then we had a chance to roam around looking and learning about the wildlife at the park.  We got a yummy muffin for morning tea!

After walking around the Te Anau Wildlife Park we drove over to the Kepler Track.  We learnt how to use a tracking device to track endangered birds!  It was fun.  We managed to track a soft toy with a tag on it!

We learnt all about the "Kids restoring Kepler' programme and got to see different types of trapping and monitoring.  The children involved in the programme monitor animals by using food tunnels with ink and card strips inside them.  The children can then see what sort of creatures are around, whether they are friends or foes by looking at tracks or prints left behind.  They then decide if they will set traps or leave the area alone.  'Snap' traps are a tool that the 'Kids restoring Kepler' use to kill pests.  This is humane as it kills pests instantly.  We got to see a live stoat.  It was very growly and had very sharp teeth.

Dead stuffed stoat

Live stoat

Ink and card monitoring

Another part of the day we enjoyed was when we had the opportunity to just relax in the beautiful bush around Lake Te Anau.  We sat and listened to the birdsong and felt calm and relaxed.  We looked at a tree that was around 500 years old!

As part of the Hui, we had to take something that we had created back at our school to 'trade' with another school.  Gore Main School took a 'gardening' package with some plants, some worm juice and a piece of our corrugated iron garden art.  We had to talk about what we had made.  We all did really well standing up in front of different schools and explaining the things that we had done.  We managed to trade our things for other great things.  We got some recycled paper, some plants and some material owls.

Presenting our 'garden' package at the Hui.  Who wants to trade with us?

We would like to thank Environment Southland for organising this wonderful day.  They looked after us very well.  We received wonderful gifts (tunnels, ink card monitoring, stuffed toys, food and knowledge).  The DOC staff were knowledgeable and we learnt a lot about the 'Kids restoring Kepler' programme.  We absolutely loved the environment (being right in the bush) and the friendly people that share with us a love of nature and of sustainability.  Thank you!!  The Hui rocks!!