My Account
Visitors to Warkworth during the school holidays may have noticed colourful hand-made posters on display in a number of local businesses, all encouraging people to look after the Kowhai Stream and keep it clean.
The environmental artworks were all the handiwork of Warkworth School’s Year 2 students, who recently completed a term-long project on freshwater ecology run by specialist education group Whitebait Connection.
The group’s north Auckland programme coordinator, Sarah Dimitrijevic, said the children had loved the interactive lessons and field trips to Kowhai Park, where they had a close-up look at eels, took a habitat walk, found freshwater insects and tested water samples for clarity.
“They’ve had a fantastic programme,” she said. “The whole focus was on freshwater and what we can do to look after it. As well as the posters, they made other art displays and dioramas.”
Warkworth School Year 2 leader Krystal Inglis said the programme had been amazing for the children and a valuable addition to the curriculum.
“The children embraced the project and remained actively engaged throughout the entire term,” she said.
“Every activity incorporated a hands-on element – they explored freshwater ecosystems and gained valuable insights into the quality of water at Kowhai Park. We completed the learning by creating posters as part of our ‘Community Action’, with the aim of conveying a vital message about preserving our local freshwater environment.”
Inglis said the programme provided a high quality and comprehensive environmental experience and it was something she would be keen to repeat.
“Sarah and her team exhibited exceptional skill in delivering the programme, supporting teachers, and ensuring that each student had a rich and valuable experience,” she said.
