On Tuesday, Te Tinana, Te Manga, Te Rau, Te Puāwai, and Te Kauru took part in Ngā Rā Whakanui o te Roto o Ngātu – a celebration of Lake Ngātu. This was an amazing learning experience for the tamariki, organised by Enviroschools and the Northland Regional Council.
The tamariki learnt all about the different pests that threaten our lake and the native and endemic species that live in and around the lake. Our class learnt so much.
Please scroll down to read what the tamariki learnt on the day.
Ngā mihi nui to our wonderful Enviroschools Te Hiku Facilitator, Shoda Tua and the marvellous team from the Northland Regional Council for making this day so memorable for all our tamariki.
Check out our learning experiences from the day …
Amaia
Yesterday, I went to Lake Ngatu and I held an eel. At first, I was scared, but when it was my turn, the lady helped me not to be afraid. I held it and learned that pest clams can have 400 babies and koi fish are predators. If you have a fish you don’t want, don’t put it back in the river. Use buckets, or give it to someone else so it doesn’t become a predator.
Cairo
Yesterday, all the senior classes went to Lake Ngatu. We were learning about pest clams. One clam has 400 babies per day. If you wait for a year, that is 80,000 clams! Then we had morning tea. After that, we went to a blue box of eels. There were two eels—one was long and thin, and one was short.
Skyler
On Tuesday, the senior class got to go to Lake Ngatu. I learned about pest clams and that they can have 400 baby clams a day. That makes 80,000 babies a year! They are really bad for our environment. I also learned about longfin eels. They are called juvenile eels when they are young. We got to hold them and they felt slimy. It was a super cool day.
Rawiri
Yesterday, the senior class went to Lake Ngatu to do activities. My group went to water quality first. We got to look in a tube with magnets to see how far down you could see them. Then we went to the pest station. We learned that you should not put pests in Lake Ngatu. We played a game where you have to pick up the native animals, not the pests. Then we had some morning tea and played for a little bit. After that, we played a clam game. We had to run and collect two clams on the kayak, then run back, put them in the bucket, and clean the kayak paddles. Then we had to dry them for the next person. The other team won the game, but the lady said everyone won!
Noah
On Tuesday, all of the senior classes went to Lake Ngatu. I learned about kauri trees. If you walk on the soil, the tree will get sick. You will make it get sick! Next, I had fun in the kayaks. We had to find the clams and clean the gear with a spray bottle and a wipe. My last one was water quality. The water looked black, and you had to see how far you could see into the tube.
Islah
In my group, we went to the VR. It was fun and my cousin Nellie was in my group. Once I put the headset on, I saw a big whale. I saw 91 whales! My favourite was the eel one. They were both baby eels. AI learned that an eel trap is called a hinaki. I touched it, and I threw the fishing line too.
Ashanti
I went to Lake Ngatu yesterday. Do you know what I learned? Let me tell you! First, I learned about the bad pests, like the koi fish and the goldfish. At the next station, the eels were slimy. I saw the eels get caught, and my teacher held one as well!
Bryn
I learned how to throw an eel trap, and it kept going round. I did the mud activity and I got halfway. The purpose of it was to see how far the mud could spread. I was amazed at how many gold clams they can produce a day. The number is 400—that’s a whopping number! I wish we could have stayed for longer so we could go to all the stations. I wish Sir stayed longer too.
Kiara-Rose
On Tuesday, I didn’t go on the VR glasses because I went on the wrong thing. I got to pick an eel up! The clams were not hard to find. I love the pest-free Lake Ngatu.
Georgia
My favourite station was the VR because it was Māori. The pest-free Lake Ngatu was the best because we need to keep it pest-free and plastic-free. Lake Ngatu needs to be healthy.
Cooper
Yesterday, the seniors went to Lake Ngatu. I held a long eel, but I dropped it by accident! Then the two eels got a bit wriggly and tried to get out.
Nikora
Yesterday, the senior classes went to Lake Ngatu. I learned how to pick up an eel.
Hamuera
Yesterday, the senior classes went to Lake Ngatu. I learned that freshwater clams are a pest to lakes. They can have 400 babies per day—that is 80,000 a year! I also learned about the disease that kauri trees can get and why we have to clean our shoes in kauri forests.
Rani
At Lake Ngatu, I saw two eels. The lady showed us how to hold the eel. At the water quality station, I couldn’t see the magnet after 56 centimetres. The VR was pretty scary!
Amelia
I got to hold an eel. The Māori word for eel is tuna. We got to pick up the eel and have a look. We even got to pat them! We went on the VR, and I saw fish. I saw a whale, a lizard, a grasshopper, and my favourite—the kiwi.
Lorreus
Yesterday, we went to Lake Ngatu. We went on the VR and I saw a big whale, and then it turned into a kauri gum tree! I was so scared because the whales splashed me. There were so many whales underneath me. The VR was so much fun! A girl told us about kauri gum trees. Then we went to the eel station. I went to touch the eel and it was slimy. The people in my group were Isla and Marshall. My teachers were Whaea Brooke and MissH. She took us to the plant station and showed us some seaweed she got from the lake. She said we could touch it.
Johnny Jolene
I got to go on the VR set. I had to clean someone’s shoe before they went into the forest. I had to clean a boy’s shoe to save the kauri trees. I saw a kiwi and I tried to pet it. It was cool! I saw a whale, too. I was floating in a boat and the whales were invisible. There were two of them. It was a fun game; it was big and cool, and I got to have a long turn.
Koea
I like that the VR has fun games. My favourite was the eels. We learned the difference between a longfin eel and a shortfin eel. They felt very silky and slippery! Clams make 400 babies per day. That is a lot of clams!
Millie
On Tuesday, all of the seniors went to Lake Ngatu. I did the VR and it was fun. We had yummy kai—it was sausages! I learned so much.
Miko
Yesterday, I went to Lake Ngatu with the senior classes. My team went to find the clamshells on the kayaks. You had to run back to clean the kayak and high-five the next person while you waited. Then my team went to the eels. I lifted one up and Sir lifted it up, too! After that, I went to play on the VR. It was so cool, but it was scary, too.
where students explored the impact of plastic pollution and began to understand how everyday choices can affect the marine environment. We also learned about the importance of marine reserves and how they help protect the ocean for future generations. It has been wonderful to see students making connections between their learning and real-life actions they can take to care for our environment.
and Simeon was away)
