Outreach to Otatara School - Term 4 2021
With the nursery still a no go for school class visits (only groups 10 or under can be inside the education centre and a max of 25 outside) I continued with outreach programmes to Otatara School during Term 4. Bush visits with the Kōtukutuku class continued with the students noticing week 1 (19 October) the changes in their class tree (still flowers but lots more leaf growth), and lots of wondering about how and why the flowers fall off. Green oval shaped remnants were noticed, along with the flowers of kōhuhu. Week 2 (26 October) Tōtara joined back in with us, and it was great to see the Kōtukutuku class members communicating what they have learnt and noticed in the time since Tōtara last joined us. The students have sound knowledge on how to identify the kōtukutuku and naming the different parts of the flowers. They have made great connections with the flowers and pollination by birds (like bellbird and tui and insects) and how each helps the other. Wonderings and observations have noticed what is left once the flowers fall, and how these will grow into fruit or konini that can be made into jam! (or eaten by birds which spread the seeds around the forest). 2 November (week 3) observing and drawing in nature journals was followed by trying the blue kōtukutuku pollen on for lipstick! 9 November it was close observation of the blue kōtukutuku pollen and what is happening at the site of the tōtara tree trunk removal from the reserve - lots of Chilean Flame Creeper. Lots of discussion followed around what is a native and what is introduced and what is a pest.
Week 5 (16 Nov) the classes started to plan out what would be needed to pass on the information they have learnt about their class trees this year - the tōtara and kōtukutuku. It was great to learn that they are now experts. Groups chose how they would pass this info on, whether via the newsletter, a book, Botany Whispers, oral histories, a map or fact sheets. Week 6 & 7 (23 & 30 Nov) we went into the reserve so the students could get the photos and other information they need for their displays and week 8 (7 December) the students worked on their displays - what knowledge they were presenting. 14 December ended the term with an awesome visit into the ngahere, noticing the petals of mānuka on the reserve track, hebe flowers starting to develop, tree ferns, the lighter green new growth and unfurling fronds of the understorey crown ferns, fruit on makomako, male cones from tōtara and the changing konini berries from the kōtukutuku. What wonder we find in nature. Otatara are an amazing school.
Bronwyn
Posted: 14 December 2021