Educating our next generation is a profound opportunity to shape the future of Te Hoiere, says Education Services Coordinator Sarah Huntley.
"My work with the Te Hoiere Project through local iwi Ngāti Kuia is driven by a commitment to kaitiakitanga and the belief that caring for te taiao is everyone's responsibility," Sarah said.
"When I work with ngā tamariki o Te Hoiere, I see the spark of curiosity in their young minds. Tamariki love getting outside in te taiao, getting their hands dirty planting and learning about tuna and fish by physically seeing them and sometimes even getting to touch them. These tamariki are the kaitiaki of tomorrow. They swim in the awa and see how clear it is and learn how clean water sustains life."
There have been some amazing events happening in the education space lately with Sarah's support.
Rai Valley School did a snorkel trip down the Pelorus River recently and Sarah also visits there once a fortnight to talk to the kaitiaki group about Te Hoiere Project kaupapa.
“The students have set up a pest trapline at their school, have learnt all about pekapeka and trapping at Pelorus Bridge and are learning all about restorations so they can do one in Rai Valley later in the year. They would also like to visit the nursery sometime in the future to set up plants for the restoration,” Sarah said.
Havelock School had a Te Hoiere Project themed school camp at Pelorus Bridge in early March (photos below).
“They visited the nursery and learnt all about what goes on there and had a session at the gallery learning about the history and heritage of Te Hoiere, pakohe and Ngāti Kuia. They also had their own pekapeka evening and got to see them in real life,” she said.
Canvastown School had a pekapeka ‘in class whole school learning session’ and visited Pelorus Bridge on a pekapeka scavenger hunt and night spotting session, including making their own bat themed snacks. They are also keen to set up a trapline at school in the future.”
Nelson Intermediate were also really interested in what was happening in the catchment and visited the nursery recently as part of a seed sourcing workshop, Sarah said.
"By fostering our tamariki’s understanding of te taiao and its interconnectedness, I hope to empower them all to be informed kaitiaki of the future," she said.
