Tōtara and Kōtukutuku Otatara School – May June Learning
I have spent time the last 6 weeks learning alongside the Tōtara and Kōtukutuku classes of Otatara School. On the 25th May we started our journey together exploring and learning in the adjacent Otatara Scenic Reserve. I visited the school and told the Otatara story of where the bush used to grow, and how now only forest remnants are left. So while the area on the map of the Otatara Scenic Reserve looked huge to the students, when put into scale with the 1865 extent of bush in Otatara, the students began to get a sense of how truly special the bush in the reserve is and how they need to protect and look after it when we visit this special place. Brainstorming for a Care Code followed with small groups of students writing and drawing some great ideas for how the reserve can be looked after while we explore.
The next week (1 June) it was off into the bush, putting the Care Code into action - with students noticing what their peers did. Great kaitiakitanga was shown. As we wandered we noticed different things in the bush- fungi, sycamore sapling pest plants, ferns and birds. Using the soft toys and puppets Tōtara and Kōtukutuku met the birds that you’d be likely to meet in the forest – kererū, tui, bellbird/ korimako, and pīwakawaka. We also met ruru (who we may not see because of their nocturnal habits). What these birds sound like, what they might eat and what their flight is like were explored. Someone asked if we have a blue bird? We have a NZ native blue duck or whio which lives in a river environment. After some play fun we watched some Jason Hosking video footage of the distinctive flight characteristics of some of the local forest birds.
On the 8 June after an exercise showing agreement or disagreement over some of the statements in our evolving Care Code it was off to the bush following a beaut frost. What a beautiful day to wander through the bush. On arriving at the bush a discussion highlighted the need to include the care of people into our Care Code, adding to what is already included about caring for the environment - reflecting the role people have in an area like the Otatara Scenic Reserve. Kaitiakitanga was discussed too and shown as we played in and explored the reserve. Homes and habitats of living creatures, how trees feed and move nutrients, bird calling and spotting, turn taking, and fun featured today - with students tuned into what they learnt or noticed that was different to the previous visit.
Revisiting the Care Code for the class visits to the Otatara Scenic Reserve the following week (15 June), the students had to give reasons as to why the statement stayed in the care code or got taken out, opening up lots of healthy discussion. Further discussion around the concepts of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga was then put into practise as we went bush. We spent a long time silently listening and watching for the birdlife (amazing) before exploring and playing. There was lots of inquiry wondering about the raindrops and dew as droplets could be seen on spider webs and leaves - why weren’t they falling down? Fungi continues to be spotted with the observation made today that there is lots more about - we wondered why?
The 22 June there was a continuation of observing what is in the bush, and a strong focus on birds. Again we were silent and watching and listening for birds - in the school grounds, at the edge of the bush, in the bush and in a clearing surrounded by bush. We spotted kererū, bellbird/ korimako, and pīwakawaka/fantail, brown creepers, tui and sparrows. We learnt about the upcoming NZ Garden Bird Survey citizen science project, and how to record the highest number seen for each species at one time.
The 29 June the bitter cold did not deter us as we went exploring. First we discovered that the blackberries are not fruiting at this time of year for us to pick and eat, instead they have died off because it is winter. We looked and listened for birds, spotted the hail in some areas, saw tui and bellbird, felt the cold of the wind and heard it in the branches of the trees. It was puzzling to hear a different bird that we had not heard before - a kākāriki - very exciting! A walk full of wondering and curiosity about all that was around us.
It has been a great time with these classes and look forward to this learning continuing next term.
Bronwyn
Posted: 29 June 2021
