Protecting our environment

Taking part in a fun trail quiz, picking up litter around native trees, shrubs and saltmarsh plants, and weeding around young native wetland trees, were some of the highlights of a visit to the Charlesworth Wetland Reserve by the two Year 3 classes.

The trip was a wonderful conclusion to the students’ inquiry relating to ‘Protecting our Estuaries’ which they worked on during Terms 2 and 3, with Year 3 teachers, Marlene Van der Bent and Isaac Leota . “We decided to focus our inquiry on the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Te Ihutai, which is such an important resource right in our back yard. The students have explored a number of different topics, including the estuary’s habitat, its animals and birdlife, and environment issues,” says Marlene.

At Charlesworth Wetland Reserve, the Year 3 classes met with Tanya Jenkins, Education Officer for the Avon-Heathcote Estuary Ihutai Trust, who talked to them about the history of the reserve, which had been drained in the 1850s to build a soap factory, carpet factory, and candle factory. It became pastureland in the 1920s, and was returned to a wetland habitat in 2002. “The Charlesworth Wetland Reserve is now a successful feeding, roosting, and breeding ground for many of the estuary bird species thanks to the hard work of volunteers and CCC Park Rangers,” says Marlene.

During the trail quiz on public walking tracks, the students identified some of the estuary sights, sounds, smells, and birdlife. “I liked the activity where we had to use our senses to name things around us that move, things that were beautiful, and things that didn’t belong at the wetlands,” says Year 3 student, Harriet Merry.

The students then put on gardening gloves to help pick up litter from around the native trees, shrubs, and saltmarsh plants at the reserve. “The students found enough litter to fill five big black rubbish bags, including polystyrene, which is so dangerous for various species of wildlife” says Marlene. Harry Collis (Year 3) says his highlight was getting under the bushes to find rubbish. “ I found three glass bottles. Some animals get their mouths stuck on the inside of bottles and they can’t breathe.”

Weeding around the young native trees planted around the wetland was a highlight for many students, including Logan Dawson (Year 3). “I loved pulling out the really big weeds. Some were hard to pull out so we used sticks to dig them out.”

Teacher, Isaac Leota, says the visit to Charlesworth Wetland Reserve highlighted to the students how their small actions to target environmental issues of rubbish, pollution, and weeds can contribute to a positive future for the Avon-Heathcote Estuary/Te Ihutai. “We have talked about kaitiakitanga, or guardianship and protection of our environment with the students, and how we can become kaitiaki of the areas that are special to us.”

The two Year 3 classes enjoyed an exciting visit to the Charlesworth Wetland Reserve.