Can you find me in the photo? Here I am in Wellington. These are the other teachers who also have a Teacher's Fellowship. They are from all over New Zealand. Two of them come from Christchurch; four of them come from Otago; two of them come from the lower half of the North Island; one from Wellington and one from Northland. Who comes from Northland? We are all here to learn more about Science and what scientists do.
While I was in Wellington, I went to visit a native wildlife sanctuary. In New Zealand that really means a bird sanctuary. These are takahe. They are one of the rarest birds in the world. They look a bit like big fluffy pukeko. This flying bird is a kākā. There were lots of them flying together over the trees in the sanctuary. They are loud and noisy. In Northland they live on Little Barrier Island but sometimes they fly over to the mainland. You ask Mrs Douglas in the library. She has seen them near her house.
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| pekapeka |
There was only one mammal in New Zealand before people came. Do you know what it is? We are very lucky because some live in Pukenui Forest but we don't see them because they are asleep in the daytime and only come out at night. They are very small and well camouflaged in the in the dark. Can you find out what they eat?
Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience www.visitzealandia.com/
August 2013
One day I went into Pukenui forest with Chris, the trapper. We had to check the stoat traps to see if we had caught anything. We found nine rats in the traps but no stoats. Chris had to set the traps again to see if he could catch more predators. There are hundreds of traps all through the forest. Without the traps, the birds, lizards, insects and bats don't stand a chance and they will all be gone.
We were in the forest just above the city and above the Whau Valley dam.
I have been into the forest to look for geckos but so far I haven't found any. During the day and especially in winter they are hiding behind the bark and in holes in the trees. Sometimes they come out at night to catch insects and in summer, they might find a patch of sunshine to warm themselves in. I think it is as hard as trying to find bats!
Kiwi North
I have been helping the staff at Kiwi North. http://kiwinorth.co.nz There are geckos and kiwi there and I have been lucky enough to help feed them. The kiwi food is measured every day to see how much they eat. Their food is very different from what they eat in the bush. They have: peas, sweetcorn, raisins, bananas and meat all mixed up together. Yum! What do you think they eat in the bush? Can you find out?
A new kiwi called Nouveau has just arrived to live at the Kiwi house. The other two kiwi, Manutahi and Kura are going to a new home where they will be let go on an island sanctuary where there are no predators.
Green gecko
There are geckos at Kiwi North too. Even in their cages they are hard to find. They are really well camouflaged, especially the forest gecko. When you touch their skin, it feels soft and smooth like silk. They eat flies, bugs and mealy worms.
I have been lucky enough to feed the tuatara as well. You can hear them when they crunch up the crickets.
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| Tuatara |
From the Top to the Bottom.
Well, nearly. These are some of the places I have visited. I love flying on fine days because I can look down and see all the mountains, rivers, valleys and towns. It is like flying over an atlas.
Dunedin
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| Railway station |
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| Otago university |
At the end of August, all the Teacher fellows met in Dunedin for a week. We went to Otago University to learn how to be good leaders. Everything in Dunedin seems very old. It is one of the oldest cities in New Zealand and it has many beautiful old buildings.
http://www.dunedinbotanicgarden.co.nz/
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| Bell bird / Korimako |
Every morning I went for a walk in the Dunedin Botanic gardens. I could hear hundreds of bell birds singing in the dawn chorus. There are lots of them here. They are nearly as common as sparrows! Can you find out why they are called Bell birds?
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The gardens are the oldest botanic gardens in New Zealand and they have over 6800 plants from all over the world. There is also an aviary in the middle of the gardens with beautiful exotic parrots as well as New Zealand birds like kea and kaka.
After our week at Otago University I went to visit my friends who live near The Catlins in South Otago. They have a small farm where they grow hazel nuts, sheep and koura!
A close-up Kereru
I think they grow kereru too because every morning I counted up to 30 kereru sitting in the trees by their orchard! I have never seen so many before. They were eating the new leaf buds in the willow trees.
All the black dots are kereru . . . and that was only a few of them!
My friends help the Forest and Bird Society look after the endangered Yellow-eyed Penguins in Southland so one afternoon we went on a penguin hunt. Yellow-eyed penguins come wooshing out of the sea on to the rocks and then waddle into the bush to make a nest under the trees to lay their eggs. Here I am - trying to stalk penguins.
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| Where are they? |
I found one. Can you see it in amongst the fern?
Found one!
