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Earlier this month, students from Gulf Harbour School had a special guest join them on a visit to Shakespear Regional Park. Forest & Bird’s Chief Executive, Nicola Toki, a presenter on TVNZ’s Endangered Species Aotearoa, was in the area visiting the Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Project. She began her day enjoying the birdlife alongside a very excited group of eight-year-olds.
The children have been working with Forest & Bird’s Charlie Thomas, learning all about local wildlife and how to protect it. Each student wrote a winning application to meet Nicola and interview her as part of their visit to Shakespear.
Surrounded by hihi stitchbirds, which are now thriving in the sanctuary, the children asked thoughtful questions including why Nicola chose to dedicate her life to protecting endangered species. She reflected on her own childhood, spent playing in the bush and calling to fantails, and shared how lucky she feels to have never lost her love for nature, as many adults do.
Teacher Nathan Hanwell said, “It’s part of the kaupapa of the school to connect with community initiatives, and the children really benefit from having real-life experiences with local wildlife. Many of them have a real passion for birds and love learning cool facts from Charlie. We definitely have some future conservationists in this group.”
Gulf Harbour School students can walk down the road and encounter a huge variety of rare birds. That’s one of the many reasons the Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Project operates here, Pest Free Hibiscus Coast Project Manager Jenny Hanwell said. “Conservation in residential areas provides an extra layer of protection for the special species living in Shakespear, especially as they start to increase their range.”
Later in the day, Nicola received a warm welcome from the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board as she joined Jenny to present an update on the project’s achievements over the past year.
Local volunteers also had the chance to share their experiences with Nicola. Pest Free Hibiscus Coast founder and award-winning volunteer Pauline Smith received special recognition later that day on RNZ’s Critter of the Week.
If you have a child who loves learning about nature, Forest & Bird runs a children’s club called KCC, which publishes a quarterly magazine and invites kids to join local adventures. Find out more here: www.kcc.org.nz
Story supplied by Forest & Bird
