The Forest Bridge Trust – Springboard partnership

The Forest Bridge Trust and Springboard New Zealand recently joined forces in an Auckland Council funded project to deliver a pilot programme introducing conservation to Springboard’s secondary school-aged students. Springboard, located at Sheepworld in Warkworth, was founded in 2022 and is an alternative education provider, offering flexible programmes that cater to learners with diverse backgrounds and schedules. Working with Springboard’s general manager, Dan Gray, and tutors Jason Warahi, Niki Arnold and Ryan Stanyer, Tris Bondsfield and Matu Booth from The Forest Bridge Trust developed a 10-week programme that explored conservation and restoration.

It started with a short overview of the biodiversity in Aotearoa and the interconnectivity of even the smallest organisms to create a healthy ecosystem. Dean Baigent-Mercer, from Forest and Bird, gave an engaging presentation on native forests and the damage possums have done. Meanwhile, trust ecologist Virginia Moreno used a timeline map of kiwi in our rohe over the past 100 years to highlight their declining numbers, but went on to explain the opportunity that exists to bring kiwi back to the area by working together to ensure that the birds have safe habitats. The students had some great questions, which allowed Dean to explain more about ecosystems and how taking away one species can affect everything else. Later in the programme, he also offered the students a guided walk through Tāwharanui where he focused on the signs of a healthy forest.

Kiwis have few defences from predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Predation from mustelids has caused a significant decline in numbers, with only five per cent of chicks born in the wild making it to adulthood. Predator control, through humane trapping, allows us to address that threat.

Chris Jamieson, from Matakana Traps, ran a trap-building workshop and helped students construct three traps. Then, in week five, Alex Wardenaar and Cam Rathe, from The Forest Bridge Trust’s predator control team, helped the students set up a trapline with a Flipping Timmy, a DOC 200 and a rat trap. They discussed the different types of bait used and explained why it’s important to think like an animal and choose carefully where to place a trap.

Sarah Dimitrijevic, from Whitebait Connection – Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust, took students out to the streams that surround the campus to explain the importance of monitoring the health of our wetlands and ensuring that our rivers and streams are safe habitats for inanga and freshwater fish.

The programme culminated with a trip to Tiritiri Matangi. Despite a few showers, the students enjoyed seeing first-hand what happens to an ecosystem when predators like rats, possums and mustelids are eliminated. The programme was a learning journey for all involved, and we thank the staff and students of Springboard for their full cooperation and participation. Through guidance, mentoring and workshops, we hope that we have provided insight into local conservation for the students, giving them a better understanding of the work The Forest Bridge Trust does, together with many community organisations, to protect and restore local flora and fauna. A big thank you to Auckland Council for supporting the funding of the programme.