At Orokonui, species big and small are constantly developing the skills necessary for succeeding far into the future. Each season’s takahē chicks honing their grass pruning techniques, the smallest neonate skinks finding the perfect basking spot over the colder months — there’s always something to be learned. As the school year progresses with speed, we’re reminded that the sanctuary is also enriching the lives of tamariki.
Each year, thousands of students from Otago and beyond visit Orokonui to discover the value of our native biodiversity and the work necessary to protect it. Every day in the forest supplies new sights, scenes and weather conditions, so teaching in a cloud forest classroom is an ever-changing education experience.
Late last year, we welcomed new lead educator Craig Beer to Te Korowai o Mihiwaka, continuing a legacy of nature-based learning developed by previous lead Tahu Mackenzie. After more than a decade of experience as a primary teacher across the lower North Island and Dunedin (most recently, four years at Dunedin North Intermediate), Craig came to Orokonui on the momentum of a teaching award that supported him to undertake a postgraduate diploma in science communication.
The education role at Orokonui arrived at the perfect time, flowing seamlessly from an internship at the Marine Studies Centre into a full summer sanctuary intensive with the guiding, communications, Visitor Centre and operations teams to learn the ins and outs of the valley. Term one is complete and term two is well under way, Craig’s understanding of our taoka species growing by the day.
"The more time I spend in the ngahere, the more I learn. Our taoka species are so precious and really vulnerable ... something that has really blown me away is seeing the amount of care and effort our team and volunteers put in to ensure they can really thrive."
In many ways, Craig’s discoveries about the sanctuary run in parallel to those being made by the students spending their day with the education team. A full education visit flies by as tamariki experience conservation work, ancient forest habitat and their own place in te taiao firsthand.
"A living classroom like Orokonui sparks so many questions from tamariki. Whether it’s watching the tuatara bask in the sun, hearing kākā screech and play in the trees or observing the takahē whānau look after one another, every moment is an opportunity to learn something new," Craig reflects after a big day out with Taieri College students.
While the colder months tend to be Orokonui’s "quieter" visitation periods, sanctuary staff and volunteers are working hard to prepare for important surveys, biosecurity audits, fence and track maintenance or visitor programming that will come to fruition in the spring and summer.
In contrast, the education experience at Orokonui is just beginning to peak, with most weekdays now seeing the sanctuary buzzing with classes exploring the grasslands and forest as part of their term two curriculum. This is particularly true for Craig as he launches two new programmes in his first year in the lead educator role: Toitū te Taiao and Te Taiao Ora.
Toitū te Taiao is already being delivered to incoming schools. Focusing on habitat regeneration, species translocations and predator control, the typical school visit takes students through a variety of conservation-minded modules spanning old growth habitat exploration, kākā case studies, skink and gecko identification and a nail-biting takahē survival game taking place across the grasslands.
The newly developed Te Taiao Ora focuses on the health benefits of connecting with nature, entering the sanctuary via support from Sport Otago’s Tū Manawa fund. The programme, available from term three onwards, provides transportation and education sessions for local students alongside fresh offerings from the visitor centre’s Horopito Cafe to provide rakatahi with nutritious lunches during their trip. There is so much learning to get stuck into, and building relationships and connecting schools with Orokonui is at the top of the list for Craig and his team of handy sanctuary educators who are working hard to help our tamariki (and our taoka) soar.
Contact education@orokonui.nz for more information on learning opportunities.
Madison Kelly is lead kaiārahi/guide at Orokonui Ecosanctuary.
