Did you know you're never more than a metre or two from a spider? We spend most of our time in the built environment but the Living World is never far from us. We often take the natural environment for granted but a little bit of searching will reveal the beauty of plants, animals and landscapes.

If you look at any landscape from a distance, on the surface it can look boring. But take a closer look with us, and a whole world of interesting life will open up. During this BioBlitz you will catch up with teacher Maureen Keen and students from Mount Somers Springburn School who have already organised their own bioblitz and reflected on their findings so they can take action. Learn how to undertake your own bioblitz. Get to know people who are most involved with Living World science on a day-to-day basis and grow your knowledge and interest.

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

  • biodiversity in New Zealand
  • what is a BioBlitz and why run one?
  • Ō Tū Wharekai, a unique inland wetland containing the 12 Ashburton Lakes
  • finding and collecting living things
  • identifying and classifying living things
  • recording living things e.g. with the iNaturalistNZ app
  • protecting and conserving living things
  • Living World scientists and rangers.

During this field trip you will:

  • follow tweets from Shelley, the LEARNZ field trip teacher
  • reflect with teacher Maureen Keen and pupils from Mount Somers Springburn School on their own community bioblitz
  • travel to locations such as a backyard, a farm, or natural landscape
  • find, collect, identify, classify and record living things with the iNaturalistNZ app
  • interview and put questions to Living World scientists and rangers
  • evaluate living things for yourself using easy terms like common, rare, native, introduced, pesky or weird!
  • talk to students and others about how they organised their bioblitz and who they needed to help make it a success
  • talk with students about what they have found and learned in their bioblitz and how they measured its success
  • visit ecological restoration areas in Ō Tū Wharekai and follow students planting native species, controlling pests, and monitoring progress.

Learning Areas/Levels

Mathematics and Statistics: Number and Algebra Levels 2-4, Statistics Levels 2-4;
Science: Living World Levels 2-5, Nature of Science Levels 2-5;
Social Studies: Continuity and Change Levels 2-5, Place and Environment Levels 2-5;
Technology: Levels 2-4

For more information about this field trip and to register, please visit: http://rata.learnz.org.nz/summary.php?vft=bioblitz191

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