AginED
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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U PR EN E
Volume 76 I October 4th, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz/agined Are you a parent or teacher and want to receive AginED every week directly to your email inbox? Send us an email to sign up at agined@globalhq.co.nz
This graph shows lamb exports
IDENTIFYING STRESS IN SOMEONE ELSE: This week we are going to look at some signs that someone we care about might be struggling with something… There are so many rapid changes that you, as teenagers, go through. It happens so fast and this, combined with life, means that there can be times when everything feels harder than you think it should. We need to be able to notice when a friend might not be themselves. You can look for these signs: ➔ They may be abusing alcohol or drugs. ➔ Their behaviour may have changed - they may have become completely anti-social (bored, lacking interest, sad) or extremely social (speeding up of everything that they do, feels like constantly rushing). ➔ They may be struggling with a health event - this can lead to feeling like shutting everyone out due to things like the embarrassment around it. ➔ They may be struggling with a relationship or a breakup.
➔ Withdrawal from school such as; not turning up, breaking rules or not completing work. ➔ They may take how they are feeling out on you by snapping or shutting you out - don’t take it personally, it’s not about you, you just happen to be the board they are bouncing off as we tend to take things out on people we are closest too. What can you do if you notice any of these signs in a friend? You can firstly try talking to them in a safe space away from other people. You could say... ➔ Please tell me what is worrying you and I will listen to what you say. (If a friend or family member talks to you, acknowledge how they are feeling is legitimate. Don’t tell them to suck it up or get over it, say that you can hear how hard it is for them and listen to what they are saying). ➔ It is obvious to me that things are not ok at the moment, but they could get better.
Would it be helpful if I organized an appointment to talk to someone and I came with you? ➔ I will stay here with you, and we will work out a plan. Talk to an adult that you know will be good at listening if you are really worried about this person. This could be a family member, teacher, doctor, nurse, school counsellor or another health professional. A bit of stress in our lives is healthy but sometimes it gets too much and if we don’t deal with these things they can lead to other things like depression. It is important that you can identify when someone else needs help as they might not know how to ask for it or where to go. Have a great week! Harriet.
Have a go: 1 How does August lamb exports compare to the previous year? 2 How do they compare to the five-year average?
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 Can you describe the typical trend of lamb exports throughout the season? I.e. When are exports usually at their highest and lowest levels? 2 Demand from both the US and UK is very strong at the moment. What do you think is driving this, particularly when compared to the previous year? Are there many COVID related restrictions in place in these countries?
Here are some of the entries in our Lockdown Learning competition. Our lucky winners have their prizes winging their way to them. We hope you enjoy your amazing prizes from Husqvarna, Stoney Creek, HuntingHQ and GlobalHQ.
Seed Banks: banking on the future. We can think of a seed as a plant in waiting. A seed has an embryo that will grow into a plant, a store of food for early growth and the genetic information that will give the plant its characteristics. All the plants we use for food production or industrial uses have ancestors growing in the wild. The genetic diversity held in these wild-types is incorporated into new varieties to give the new varieties the characteristics needed. This diversity is also captured within the seeds of plants. Stores of seeds (seed banks) can also be used to conserve species diversity in the face of threats from climate change, pests and disease, and loss of habitat. The dry seed is held at low temperature in seed banks as an insurance against loss in the wild. In 2017 a disease that can decimate members of the Myrtaceae family reached New Zealand. Massey University, through the New Zealand indigenous flora seed bank (NZIFSB), is contributing to New Zealand’s response to this plant disease by
working with the Department of Conservation to bank seed of New Zealand’s Myrtaceae. 1 What species were mentioned in the news item as being prioritized? 2 How many indigenous Myrtaceae species are there? Have a go: Watch the TVNZ news item here https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/ new-zealand/department-conservationbanking-more-seeds-save-native-treesmyrtle-rust-fungus Stretch yourself: 1 What is Myrtle rust? Can you find other countries affected by Myrtle rust? 2 What is the difference between a full and empty (a seed without an embryo) seed? 3 What plant species in New Zealand could be affected by Myrtle rust? 4 What can the Myrtle Rust prevent the plant from doing?
Want to learn more about the science behind seeds and their use in New Zealand agriculture and horticulture? Check out the Bachelor of Agricultural Science https:// www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/programme-course/programme.cfm?prog _ id=93425 and the Bachelor of Horticultural Science https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/ learning/programme-course/programme.cfm?prog _ id=93578
Photographs: x-ray image of Muehlenbeckia axillaris; germination test Leptospermum (Myrtaceae) A key focus for the seed bank is to collect and bank seed of New Zealand’s Alpine flora. The alpine plants have nowhere to go if temperatures warm so are very vulnerable to climate change.