The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey – inquiry cycle

This interactive resource has been developed to engage, inspire and support learning in and out of the classroom. It contains short animated videos featuring Te Ariki who talks to his peers and lays down a challenge to learn, care for and protect our birds. It also features wrap-around information and links for kaiako and tauira to immerse themselves in learning, understanding and acknowledging the birdlife in our environment.  

Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa | New Zealand Garden Bird Survey strives to encourage kaitiakitanga through citizen science efforts to enhance knowledge and awareness of native and introduced bird species.  

The valuable data that is collected nationwide plays a crucial role in monitoring and understanding the status of bird populations in Aotearoa, promoting community involvement in conservation and guiding efforts to safeguard biodiversity in urban and suburban areas. 

To use this interactive, move your mouse or finger over any of the labelled boxes and click to obtain more information.

Transcript

Manu – past, present and future

This animated video engages learners to explore their local birdlife. It is part of an inquiry cycle for kura to engage in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey run by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.

What do you know about birds? This video encourages us all to find out more about the birds around us. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the birds that we no longer see but our ancestors did. This can be used as the start of an inquiry cycle of learning to engage ākonga in thinking and observing more about the birds in our local area.

Resources

Engage in your local stories about the manu you see now and the manu you don’t see. Ask your kuia, koro or whānau about what changes they have seen in the environment where you live or where your kura is. What would you like to see changed in the future?

• Manu – past, present and future – article

• Protecting native birds – article

• The Ministry of Education’s Connected series includes these articles and teacher support material: The takeaway table, What Alice saw, Keep your cat inside and Bringing back the birdsong

• Our changing ecosystems – timeline

• Conserving native birds – introduction – resource curation

Transcript

Kia ora, ko Te Ariki ahau!

Kei te mōhio koe ko ngā manu ngā tamariki nō Tāne Mahuta? He aha tō tātou mōhiotanga e pā ki ngā manu, atu i ā rātou huruhuru ātaahua me ā rātou tīoriori reka! E hiahia ana koe te mōhio? Whai mai ēnei kōrero kia ako ngā tahi tātou ngā āhuatanga maha ō ā tātou hoa manu!

Kia ora, my name is Te Ariki!

Did you know that birds are descendants of Tāne Mahuta? What do we really know about birds, apart from having beautiful feathers and birdsongs? Want to find out more? Let me show you where you can learn more about our feathered friends!

Acknowledgements
This video was produced in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. A special thank you to Te Ariki for providing the voiceover.

Manu – identification

Do you recognise the bird calls in your local area? Have you ever stopped to listen to the birdsong in your school or garden? Becoming familiar with different birdsongs is part of identifying birds. It will also build your observation capability.

 In this video, Te Ariki encourages learners to explore their local birdlife. It is part of an inquiry cycle for kura to engage in the national New Zealand Garden Bird Survey run by Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.

Resources

Do you know the names of the birds you see when you are in your garden or school grounds? How do you identify them? What features can you observe to gather the information you need to identify them? Use your senses – what do you see and hear? 

• Bird adaptations and identification – article

• Birds – structure and function – article

• Birds in my backyard – activity

• Observation activities – activity curation

• Titiro – observing my environment – article

Transcript

E mōhio ana koe te rerekētanga o te korokoro tūī ki te tīoriori o te korimako? I a koe i te māra, e mōhio ana koe i ngā tangi o ngā manu ka rangona e koe? E hiahia ana koe te mōhio? Ki te mōhio koe kaore e kore ka whakaaro tō kuia me tō koroua kei runga noa atu koe!

Do you know the difference between a tūī call and a korimako call? When you’re in the garden, do you know which birds you can hear? Would you like to learn more? Your koro and kuia would think you’re pretty flash if you knew the different bird sounds in your garden.

Acknowledgements
This video was produced in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. A special thank you to Te Ariki for providing the voiceover.

Manu – exploring data

Tangata whenua are very skilled in observing the world around them. Get inspired to see yourself as a scientist and explorer, gathering data and observing birds in your local area.

This video encourages learners to make observations, just like their ancestors. What do our observations mean and what does the story of the data tell us?

Resources

Have you ever wondered what happens to the data you collect when you participate in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey? Did you know when you gather data – like how many birds are in your backyard – you are building your scientific skills?

• Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa – exploring data – article

• New Zealand Garden Bird Survey – citizen science project

• Using infographics (communicating data) – activity

Transcript

Nā, e mōhio ana koe ka taea e tātou katoa te tu hei mātanga pūtaiao, hei kaihōpara hoki pērā ki ōu tātou tūpuna? Ka taea hoki e koe te ako me pēhea te tiaki i tō tātou taiao. E hiahia ana koe te mōhio? Mā te tirotiro me te rohirohi i ngā raraunga o tō māra ka timata tō haerenga. 

So did you know we can all be scientists and explorers just like our tūpuna were? You can learn to be better kaitiaki for our environment. Want to find out how? Just by observing and collecting data in your garden you can begin your journey.

Acknowledgements
This video was produced in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. A special thank you to Te Ariki for providing the voiceover.

Manu – agency and action

In this animated video, Te Ariki lays down a challenge to learn from our tūpuna and become kaitiaki of our local environment. Taking action is an important part of any investigation. Wanting to take action means you have developed a sense of agency. Taking action to help birdlife can be as small or large as you want – it all makes a difference! You could plant trees in your backyard or write a letter to the local council to protect certain local habitat – or you might take part in the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey.

Resources

Now that we have gathered lots of information about the birds in our area, what do we do with it? How does the data we have gathered make you feel? Are there any actions we can take to protect the manu living in our rohe? What can be done to bring more birds back?

• Taking action for our birds – article

• Taking action for conservation – PLD webinar 

• Conservation resources – planning pathways – article

• Predator Free 2050 vision – article

• Bringing back the birdsong – activity

Transcript

I mōhio ō tātou tūpuna me pēhea te noho tahi me te taiao. I tiaki rātou tō tatou taiao hei tāonga mo ngā rangatira o apōpō. Me pupuri tātou ki ēnei kōrero hei tiaki, hei manaaki i tō tātou taiao.

Our tūpuna knew how to live with the environment and look after our natural resources for future generations. We can learn so much from our tūpuna on how to be better kaitiaki. Let’s use the knowledge you’ve learnt to look after and protect our environment.

Acknowledgements
This video was produced in collaboration with Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research. A special thank you to Te Ariki for providing the voiceover.

Manaaki Whenua and New Zealand Garden Bird Survey

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Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research is a Crown research institute. Its core purpose is to drive innovation in the management of terrestrial biodiversity and land resources. One of the national projects it runs is the annual survey of garden birds Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa | New Zealand Garden Bird Survey. The data collected from citizen scientists helps researchers and practitioners understand how birds are coping with environmental challenges.

Rights: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

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