Hurupaki Wetlands Enviro Team : November 2016

Wednesday 30 November 2016

Yellow Admiral Butterflies

We got a very special delivery to school this morning, some yellow admiral caterpillars. We are excited to have the chance to watch these caterpillars munch through our stinging nettle and turn into pupa and then butterflies. We'd like to thank Wendy Barber, from Cambridge for sending the cats by overnight courier and to the Monarch Butterfly trust for leading us to Wendy. They are so furry and have cute heart-shaped faces.

Sunday 27 November 2016

Official Butterfly, bee and bug habitat opening

What a beautiful morning to have guests, Northland Regional Councillor, John Bain, Enviroschools Northland co-ordinator, Susan Karels, Primary Enviroschools facilitator, Julie Holt and NRC Pest Biosecurity officer, Steve Henderson, along to school to help us officially open our new Butterfly, bee and bug habitat.

The enviro team and the senior students have worked hard over the last 6 months to turn an enormous area of garden, overgrown with kikuyu, into a new habitat, complete with artwork, butterfly watering hole and NZ native and introduced plants, some of which will be used to make natural creams and balms for sale.

While at school the students also took our guests on a tour of the Wetland and showed them the new bridge built by Mr Darwent. Our visitors were the first to use the new QR codes which are to be printed on metal tree labels for use by the students and community.

Here are a few of the pics from the day.

One first trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island on the 25th November

Tiritiri One

The first of our Tiritiri Matangi Island Trips

On the 25th November the Reduce, reuse, recycle and edible gardens enviro teams went to Tiritiri Matangi Island. The students impressed their guides Eileen and Hohepa with all their knowledge of the history of the island, the birds and some of the trees. Myristicine was the girl's word of the day - the potent healing chemical found in Kawakawa leaves. This chemical is produced by the plant and sent to leaves damaged by the Kawakawa looper. It heals the edges of the holes they make, hence the leaves with the most holes have more myristicine present. It was a wild day with a few showers on the way up Wattle track and strong wind around the lighthouse, but we saw many different bird species thanks to the girl's keen eyesight and because they were so quiet. Next time you see a Mahoe (Whitey wood), hold your ear to the trunk and listen.