Earlier this term, ākonga from four Marlborough schools rolled up their sleeves, and trousers, taking part in a hands-on freshwater education event along the Taylor River. With guidance from Angela (Enviroschools Facilitator), Wendy (Junior Landcare), and volunteers from Forest & Bird, students explored the world of freshwater invertebrates and how these tiny creatures can tell us about stream health.
The afternoon began with a visual habitat assessment. Ākonga learned to observe the features of a waterway—such as gravel beds, shaded banks, riffles, pools and runs. They used this information to make an assessment of the health of the awa.
Tamariki then rotated between two hands-on, creative activities: designing and making their own bug bags, and building bathy scopes to explore life beneath the water’s surface.
Bug Bags
Aquatic Bug Bags made from hessian and stuffed with dried plant material provide a habitat for small freshwater invertebrates which in term support species higher up in the food web, like tuna (longfin eels).
Apart from the fun of designing and making their bug bags to look like freshwater invertebrates, there was a deeper purpose: the children were invited to ‘deploy’ their bags in waterways near their schools. They will build a map of where and what type of invertebrates are living in the tributaries of the Taylor River and beyond. The information may tell us where to focus our action as well as give schools meaningful data to use across curriculum for maths, science, literacy and arts.
Bathy Scopes
The bathy scopes—a simple but underwater viewing tool—allowed students to see into the awa clearly, revealing hidden life among the stones and plants.
While this part of the river had dried up over summer and was only just beginning to flow again, the ākonga were keen to test their bathy scopes, even though invertebrate life was still scarce.
Throughout the afternoon, tamariki learned that freshwater invertebrates—like mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, and snails—not only play vital roles in the food web, but also help keep the water clean. Filter feeders like kākahi (freshwater mussels) remove fine particles from the water, while shredders (like caddisfly) and grazers (like mayfly) help break down leaf litter and control algae.
Ned Neal with his Bug Bag
The afternoon ended with a quiet moment of reflection. As the tamariki focused on what they had learned and how they might use their new skills it was clear how much meaningful learning can happen when science is brought to life outdoors.
Thanks to the support of Junior Landcare, Forest & Bird, school staff and supporting parents. This memorable afternoon created fresh interest in the hidden world of our waterways and highlighted the value of caring for our local awa as taonga for future generations.
Take a look at the video from the day on NZ Landcare Trust Facebook page
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