LEARNZ: Wetland biodiversity – journey to a rare inland high country ecosystem

In autumn go with DoC experts as they travel by helicopter, 4-wheel-drive, mountain bike and on foot into the wetlands and braided rivers of Ō Tū Wharekai. Get up close to its fauna and flora to discover how its birds, insects, reptiles and plants are uniquely-adapted to surviving in such a tough place. With local iwi, find out about interventions for native and endemic species to enable their populations to be sustainable.

Technology twists - electric fishing, measuring water quality, trapping pests using motion-sensor cameras.

Wetlands play a vital role on planet earth so this trip will fit perfectly with big ideas like sustainability, indigenous people, landscapes, water, plants and animals, migration, threatened species and conservation. On this 3-day journey be prepared for the unexpected!

To prepare for this field trip, LEARNZ content will support inquiry into

• the special place Ō Tū Wharekai, high up in the South Island's Rangitata River valley
• the special nature and importance of wetlands
• the significance of water and wetlands to Māori, particularly Ngāi Tahu
• use by iwi of traditional resources like raupō (bulrush) and harakeke (flax)
• threatened native fish, birds, lizards and plants
• life cycles of selected species like native fish
• adaptations of living things
• ecosystems and the interconnectedness of wetland life

During the field trip you will:

• see Shelley's tweets on twitter
• ride a helicopter down the spectacular Rangitata River (TBC)
• see how rivers connect places and people: how the surrounding land affects the river and how the river affects fish, birds and people
• meet iwi and find out how to help sustain the local bird population
• get to know DOC rangers
• climb into your waders to search for freshwater fish and invertebrates in the braided rivers
• investigate wetland recreation
• discover the secret world of eels
• explore inter-montane basins of inland South Canterbury
• discover the plants and animals that threaten our wetlands
• trap pests using a motion-sensor camera
• gather people's different points of view about this wetland
• see how special plants and animals within this ecosystem are interconnected and how they have adapted to survive in this harsh alpine environment
• catch skinks and geckos in a fall trap
• monitor the black fronted tern population that lives on Canterbury's braided rivers and discover what is being done to counter threats to these species and their surroundings
• get your feet wet to learn how wetland plants affect water quality
• document living things specific to this area using the NatureWatch/iNaturalist smartphone app. More about using NatureWatch to build 21st capabilities in students
• gain an appreciation of the special value of Ō Tū Wharekai to Māori

After the field trip challenge yourself to:

• ask what people remember about a wetland near you and what they think about it now
• use your ideas, and those of others such as iwi, to help restore a wetland ecosystem near your place
• restore native plant species at your school or home
• buy and use a kit for testing water quality
• use the NatureWatch/iNaturalist smartphone app to photograph and identify living things near you

Where you will go

Ō Tū Wharekai is in the heart of the South Island high country. It includes the Ashburton Lakes and upper Rangitata River that have been crafted through the ages by glaciation (creating a stunning landscape used for filming Lord of the Rings). The Hakatere Conservation Park, centred on the Ashburton Lakes, was opened in October 2007. It has habitat for native fish, trout, salmon, water birds, threatened native plants and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. It is one of the three national Arawai Kākāriki project sites focusing on the ecological restoration of the most precious wetland freshwater sites in New Zealand.

In many parts of the world, wetlands have important roles but they are under threat at the same time as awareness of their importance is growing. Ō Tū Wharekai is also important to Māori in the past, present and future.

Learning Areas/Levels

Science: Living World Levels 1-4, Nature of Science Levels 1-4, Planet Earth and Beyond Levels 2-4;
Social Studies: Place and Environment Levels 2-4, Identity, Culture and Organisation Levels 2-4, Continuity and Change Levels 2-4

More Curriculum

This field trip has support material for Social Studies AO Level 1 How places in New Zealand are significant for individuals and groups. Level 2 How places influence people and people influence places. Level 3 How people view and use places differently. Biology 91155 Demonstrate understanding of adaptation of plants or animals to their way of life. Earth and Space Science 91190 Investigate how organisms survive in an extreme environment.

For further information: http://rata.learnz.org.nz/summary.php?vft=wetlandbiodiversity181