Examine: What currently exists?
Zealandia, a renowned ecosanctuary in Wellington, has developed a series of lesson plans aimed at empowering schools to contribute to the pest-free vision for New Zealand. These educational resources, supported by WWF, focus on native wildlife conservation and the importance of pest control in protecting the country's ecosystems.
The lesson plans, part of a larger resource titled "Inspire", include Lesson 1, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, and an overview. They delve into various topics such as the role of Zealandia's world-first predator-proof fence, the threat posed by invasive pests, practical actions for a pest-free New Zealand, and ways young people can engage in conservation efforts.
One practical activity, "Making a tracking tunnel", encourages students to monitor the presence of pest species in their local environment. The resource provides templates for tracking tunnels, transect lines for tracking and trapping, and guides for identifying domestic rodents.
The educational series also includes activities that help students become familiar with Maori and English terms related to conservation and biodiversity. For example, "Observation: learning to see" emphasises the importance of careful observation in science, while "Mapping the future" encourages students to explore changes in their local environment over the past 50-100 years and plan for the next 50 years.
The two-lesson sequence, titled "Investigate: What is present? (Part 1)" and "Investigate: What is present? (Part 2)", focuses on understanding concepts like biodiversity and relevant terminology (endemic, native, pest).
Zealandia's Education team is available to provide advice or assistance in implementing this programme. Schools in the Wellington region can also access Zealandia's free Outreach programme for additional support.
By integrating this curriculum, schools help raise awareness and inspire students to participate in New Zealand’s broader pest management and biodiversity conservation goals, aligning with the country’s national vision to become predator-free and to restore native habitats. This initiative underscores the power of education in driving conservation efforts and fostering a sense of stewardship among the younger generation.
WWF, the world's leading conservation organization, has been protecting the future of nature for 50 years. By supporting initiatives like Zealandia's educational programme, WWF continues to play a crucial role in preserving and restoring New Zealand's unique ecosystems.
The teaching resource, showcasing the relevance of mathematical skills in a real-life context, provides a valuable opportunity for students to analyse examples, gather data, and effect real-world outcomes. With Zealandia's educational resources, the path towards a pest-free New Zealand becomes a classroom project, empowering the next generation to play a vital role in the conservation of their country's wildlife and ecosystems.
- In the context of environmental science, particularly the conservation of New Zealand's unique wildlife, the lesson plans ('Lesson 1', 'Lesson 4', 'Lesson 5', and the overview) in Zealandia's educational resource, titled "Inspire", also include a practical activity on 'Making a tracking tunnel' to monitor pest species in students' local environments, thereby encouraging a pest-free lifestyle at home.
- Engaging with Zealandia's educational resources not only equips students with essential conservation and biodiversity terminology (such as endemic, native, and pest) but also prepares them to become active participants in climate-change mitigation efforts and the advancement of the environmental-science field, thus fostering a sense of stewardship in the home-and-garden sector.
