A season of education growth

Each session is full of questions, enthusiasm, and the joy of learning alongside others outdoors. Here are some more insights into our education mahi this winter.

In partnership with The Pā

This winter we welcomed Levi Walford of The Pā to deliver our first mātauranga Māori-led cultural education session, joining Te Whai Hiringa in the Park to combine planting with learning through a te ao Māori lens. We look forward to welcoming more schools in to learn from Levi’s deep knowledge in this space.

Canopy planting

With most of the plantings in the school plots now well established, they’ve reached the point where the next stage of ecological succession can begin, and this winter saw students take on canopy planting for the first time. Students planted canopy species including miro, northern rātā, tawa and kahikatea in their school plots. These canopy species will thrive with the shelter, nutrients and protection of the original plantings, and will eventually grow to overtop them.

Pest control in action

Pest trapping added a whole new learning dimension to school visits recently, with traps installed in four school areas. Students were enthusiastic to see demonstrations of how the traps work, and to learn about predator behaviour and what effective pest control means for ecological recovery. One group even spotted a Southern Bell Frog, sparking a great discussion about native versus introduced species.

With planting complete for the season, Term 4 will focus on maintenance visits, continued pest trap learning, and further sessions with Levi as we look to bring more local schools into this kaupapa.

Sincere thanks to Genera for the generous funding that is supporting our education mahi in the 2026/27 financial year. This translates into meaningful outdoor education experiences for local tamariki, and we are grateful for their backing.