Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Ashley Rakahuri School, an Enviroschool for 14 years, first partnered with their Enviroschools facilitator, Siobhán Culhane, Waimakariri Biodiversity Trust (WBT), and Daiken last year to connect the students to this area.
This year, they took it further by investigating the terrestrial invertebrates and planting native seedlings, which Daiken generously provided.
These native seedlings were specially chosen to restore this area to being a wetland.
The year three to five students tried out three fun activities:
- planting native trees along Saltwater Creek to create this wetland environment
- recording the bugs, worms and creepy crawlies living under logs, and in the grasses and bushes.
- looking at the mayflies, caddis larvae, snails and flatworms that live in the creek.
The students were engaged, eager, and enthusiastic to get planting and reporting!
The 46 ākonga/students, with help from kaimahi/staff from Daiken and other organisations, planted 630 native seedlings, including kahikatea, tōtara, and mataī in just over three hours!
