eco-rangersnz

Six Ways to Save the Planet

2011-12-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

The Taranaki News gives six tips to save the planet with earth friendly tips from New Zealand books including my 'Eco-Rangers Save the Planet'. Go to http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/life-style/6090744/Six-ways-to-save-the-planet to find the tips.
I really liked the idea of having a technology-free day. What would I do without my computer, though? I have to confess I'm a computer geek! I would have so much time on my hands. Knowing me I would read a book all day - now that sounds a good thing.

Environmental Picture Book

2011-10-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

I have to confess I love environmental picture books, whether they're fictional or creative non-fiction style. Just recently I received a copy of 'One Small Island' by Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch, published in Australia. The cover is embossed with muted green and grey colours - your eye drawn to look at what the ducks are looking at - one small island. Turn the page and you're treated to ancient maps and illustrated text boxes about Macquarie Island. The story begins on page 2 and 3:

Macquarie Island lies in the Southern Ocean,
between Antarctica and New Zealand.
A speck of green in the vast, windswept sea, it is a haven
for many creatures that live above and below the waves.

The story is simply told about the history of Macquarie Island starting from its volcanic origins, leading on to how animals and plants existed in a fragile balance until humans discovered the island. Sealers then came to kill the seals in their thousands for their fur, and once they were exhausted they killed elephant seals then penguins for their oil. The sealers brought their own animals to the island and they too wreaked their destruction. Slowly by slowly the fauna and flora was destroyed. Then in 1911 Douglas Mawson's Antarctic team stopped at Macquarie Island; they were shocked to see the cruel practices of the penguin oil industry and called for the protection of the island's wildlife. Find out about the programme that helped restore the balance on the island again.The illustrations are stunning, the text boxes comprehensive and the design - a stand-out. Just what you need for such an important topic: the importance of saving our small islands.

Highly recommended for Primary and Intermediate classes. I would suggest that teachers start their environmental unit by reading this book aloud to their class. This poignant story with its rich illustrations will give a true picture to children about such an important topic.

Triple Kiwi Release for Three Kids

2011-10-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, three kids travelled over to Motuora Island with me to release three kiwi chicks. What was the occasion? Ten year old Louis won a mini ranger experience through the Department of Conservation. He flew up from the South Island and joined us at Sandspit Wharf. Claire and Hannah joined us on the boat too. They had raised $1200 for the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust. Their parents said they had nothing to do with it. When the girls visited Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua they felt sorry for the kiwi chicks having a tough time with predators so they decided to do their bit to raise money. They arranged for people to sponsor them and they rode the Otago Rail Trail. At school they baked muffins and sold them at the school fair. Michelle Impey from the BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust will go to their school to receive their donation in Term Four.

After the boat trip we walked up the track on Motuora Island and found the man-made burrows. Louis, Hannah and Claire had their photo taken with the kiwi chicks, and patted them, then we put them into their burrows. Later that night, the kiwi chicks will leave and find their own burrow. These chicks were the 15th kiwi chicks to be released on the island this year. Auckland Zoo incubates the kiwi eggs, then feeds them for the first three weeks of their life. Then they're uplifted and released on Motuora Island. Around 10 months later they'll be caught again and taken back up North, where their eggs originally came from.

Once we were back at Sandspit wharf, I gave the kids a copy of the Operation Nest Egg (now out of print) book, as a momento of their trip. They will have some interesting stories to tell their school mates when they go back to school.

Birkenhead Primary Nature Reserve

2010-10-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the year I visited Birkenhead Primary for an author talk. During lunch time two young ladies (Year 6 students) took me for a walk around their nature reserve. The students had taken out the weeds, planted natives, made some lizard houses and signs, and now they have this magnificent nature reserve next to their school. Students are allowed to play in it during breaks and they are all very proud of the work they've put in to making it look so beautiful.
The students didn't stop there; they made more lizard houses and put them around the school. They have a huge vegetable garden with compost bins and worm farms.
Some of the older students belong to an eco club and their responsibilities are to patrol the nature reserve during lunch time and they help make decisions about what other environmental projects they are going to get everyone involved in.
It is great to see a school and its students so committed to doing something for the environment.

Alex Hill saves the day

2010-03-08T01:35:00.000-08:00

I was in Kawau with some of my cousins. They decided to go to a fresh water stream but I came back earlier than the others. On the way my jandal broke so I was watching the ground for anything sharp. In the distance I saw a weka under a tree. At first I thought it was nesting but it seemed out of the ordinary, then I thought it was injured so I walked past it to see if it would run away, but it didn’t. I ran back to the bach and got nana and we came back to it. It was still there. Nana picked it up and we assumed that it had broken its legs. When we got back to the bach we put it in a box with a bit of food and some water and we started looking for a DOC number but the closest thing we could find was the Mansion House number. I called the number and it turned out to be DOC anyway. After a while of talking to them nana told me to say to them, “We are coming round to Mansion House so we could bring it round”. They said “ok” and we started to get ready to leave on my uncle’s boat Humming Bird.
When we got there, Marty the Island Ranger was waiting for us. He inspected the weka and said that it had eaten some poison. He was going to send it back on the 2.00pm ferry to the mainland. The vet needed to give the weka some vitamin K.
A couple of days later, I got a phone call from Marty saying that the weka was treated with vitamin K and was thought to have pneumonia and was given antibiotics for that too.
A few days after the treatment I was called once again asking me if we were going to be at our bach because the weka had made a great recovery and he asked me to release it where I had found it. With no doubt I said yes.
Just before lunch, we all went out to the spot where I found it and then I finally released it to return to the native bush that it grew to know and love.
Recently I have received a letter from DOC on Kawau asking me to go to Motuora Island to release some kiwi chicks on Friday the 5th of March, accompanying me is my Nana.
By Alex Hill

Eco-Ranger's codes

2009-12-13T20:07:00.001-08:00

Hi again,

I'm hoping some of you will have bought my book 'Eco-Rangers Save the Planet'. A page was moved just before printing and it has changed some of the codes. Go crack these codes (you'll need the book):

(The trick is not to include headings or web addresses)

Page 6

39,3,7 6,11,2 11,6,8 5,13,1 67,6,10

Page 19

15,8,8 39,2,4 38,14,2 58,20,12

Page 45
39,1,6 45,15,6 17,7,2 17,7,3

Page 50

24,5,1 23,3,10 26,4,1 53,1,9 80,13,8

Page 58

56,4,1 57,9,5

Page 70

70,3,4 71,8,5 70,8,5

Answer page 104

Have fun!

Tell me if you cracked them all!

Sirocco gets a check-up

2009-12-13T20:05:00.001-08:00

Hi all
You might remember that recently I had an article about Sirocco the kakapo when he was at Auckland Zoo. Well, follow this link for some gorgeous pics of Sirocco having a check-up.

Auckland Zoo'sYoung Conservationist of the Year

2009-12-06T02:56:00.000-08:00

A 17-year-old determined to spread the message of native marine conservation is Auckland Zoo's 2009 Young Conservationist of the Year winner.

Department of Conservation nominated Samantha Cheah for her dedication to educating people about our marine environment.

Samantha encouraged her schools mates to create displays and presentations about marine conservation, fundraising and getting involved in recycling, Seaweek and World Environment Day. Samantha also started Botany Downs Secondary School's Enviro Group, its 40 active members plan to plant trees and clean up beaches in their local area.

In Zoo Alive magazine Samantha said, "It's a great honour to be given this award, and the fact that my efforts may be encouraging other youth to do the same, is extremely encouraging for me." Samantha has volunteered to become a youth leader for the 2010 DOC 'Make a Difference' marine course.

Auckland Zoo's conservation officer Peter Fraser said that Auckland Zoo is committed to inspiring people to care for wildlife and they believe these national awards not only highlight the great work being done by Samantha but hopfeully also inspire others to take positive action.

John Key and Enviro schools

2009-11-29T12:51:00.000-08:00

While I was walking around Meadowbank school - seeing vegetable plots crammed into every nook and cranny of this suburban school - I thought: I wish we could have taken the Prime Minister John Key around with us. If he saw the passion these children had for their gardening projects, recognised the teachers' commitment and gazed upon the many art and design projects, as well as diverse range of garden beds these students had set up in the last five years - he would see how worthwhile Enviro schools are. More and more schools are setting up edible gardens in their schools. Some are embarking on a new programme where children eat what they sow 'Garden to Table' and others are planting native trees where needed for the Trees for Survival programme (and some like Meadowbank Primary are doing all of the above). You can see on the kids' faces how proud they are; they've achieved something very worthwhile but not just that they are learning life skills while still acquiring curriculum knowledge such as maths, social studies and science (they need to calculate how many metres of hose pipe they need, how much the materials will cost, how it will effect the rest of the eco-system etc.).
So John Key - or one of your MPs - take time to stroll in an Enviro school garden. You'll see how it is considerably more beneficial to children rather than more tests.
For the uninitiated - John Key (and his party) have stopped funding towards Enviro schools, as well as Healthy Eating programmes and lots of other community initiatives.
How about everyone send John Key a letter about your edible garden at school. Invite him to see the great work you've done. If enough of you send a letter - perhaps he'll get the message that enviro schools rock!

Plastic-not so-Fantastic Story

2009-11-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a story I wrote about Albatross chicks dying from eating plastic:

Plastic-not-so-Fantastic

Something red with white furry gills catches the albatross’s eye.

Floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the largest landfill in the world. This swirling watery garbage patch is about the size of Australia.

Ninety percent of the rubbish is plastic. Plastic bottles, lids, bags and lighters are discarded at beaches, swept into storm water drains and thrown off boats. But plastic does not biodegrade - every plastic product ever made still exists today and will continue to do so for centuries.

The albatross dives down and pulls the red object out of the plastic soup.

The world produces nearly one hundred million tonnes of plastic every year and ten percent of that ends up in the ocean. Thirty percent of it floats, gathering in watery graves and the rest sinks to the ocean floor, damaging and smothering life.

The currents in our waters blow the marine debris far out to sea – sometimes crossing other oceans. It accumulates in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre; a slow moving clock-wise ocean current just above the Hawaiian Islands.

Catching an up drift the albatross flies back to her nest; landing above her chick.

On Midway Atoll, albatrosses pluck plastic debris and feed it to their chicks. Within a few short weeks, the chicks’ stomachs are bulging but not from fish; from plastic caps, lighters, and even toothbrushes.

When Kate Hewson, Education Coordinator from the Albatross Observatory in Dunedin visited Midway Atoll, she found a chick’s carcass with a stomach full of plastic. Kate said, “The poor chick had very little room for real food so it probably starved to death.”

The chick flaps its wings and croaks its welcome. It greedily swallows the red morsel offered.

Albatross are not the only marine life affected. Turtles mistake floating plastic bags for jelly fish, eat them and choke. Unwanted fishing lines and nets continue to ghost fish for years. Over 100,000 marine animals die from plastic ingestion or entanglement in the North Pacific Ocean alone.

Once the plastic has killed a marine animal or seabird; the plastic can once again enter the food chain to destroy another life. One piece of plastic found in the stomach of an albatross bore a serial number traced to a Second World War sea plane shot down in 1944.

The object snags in the chick’s throat.

A one litre drink bottle can break down into enough small fragments called nurdles to put one on every beach in the entire world. Sunlight eventually breaks the plastic particles into molecular size; small enough for plankton to ingest. Small fish eat the plankton and big fish eat them. If you eat fish, you most likely have the plastic nurdles inside of you!

If that wasn’t bad enough; plastic pollution can bring about changes in other ways too. Animals, insects and birds hitchhike on floating plastic and travel to other countries, becoming pests in their new home territories.

The chick gasps for breath…

The plastics also act like a sponge absorbing toxins in the water. Marine animals and fish swallow the poison pills and die.

The plastic gathers on islands; and in some areas piles up 5 – 10 feet in rubbish. Beaches are awash with plastic sand containing billions of nurdles.

The mother watches her chick die, not understanding what has happened.

People trying to clean up the rubbish have not found an easy solution. Trawling for the rubbish would only damage the sea bed and its occupants. They can pick up the bigger objects but imagine cleaning up an area the size of Australia; it is an impossible task.

The best way to solve the problem is to reduce the waste at source. Eighty percent of the rubbish comes from land. If everybody said no to plastic bags and always carried a cotton reusable bag wherever they went that would take one trillion plastic bags out of our landfills and waters every year.

The mother flies off leaving the chick choking.

We can also write letters to organisations like supermarkets asking them to eliminate plastic waste. When we buy something with a lot of packaging we can leave it in the shop and let them deal with it.

At an international level treaties have banned dumping at sea. Countries worldwide must not allow untreated sewage and storm water to flow into waterways. Nationally, countries can aim for zero waste like Ireland reducing its plastic check-out bag usage by 90 percent since 2002.

Several days later, the father albatross returns to the nest to feed the chick. He finds the chick’s carcass with a red toothbrush wedged amongst the bones.

In the future, when you throw out your used plastic; think about using alternatives, reusing or recycling it. Otherwise it could end up in a swirling vortex in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and into the stomach of albatross chicks for many years to come.

For more images of plastic in albatross

More on Meadowbank School

2009-11-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Vivienne Lingard (illustrator of Eco-Rangers Save the Planet) and myself visited Meadowbank Primary school after the book launch held at Remuera Library. Two of the school's Enviro-ferns: 11 year old Stella Clifford and Georgie Hood, with their Enviro-teacher Nicky Elmore showed us around their gardens - and boy were they impressive. There were: butterfly gardens, a scented garden so a blind student could benefit from it, a medicine garden, numerous raised bed gardens; orchards; and they turned the gully, which used to be an unofficial dump, into a gorgeous native bush area with bridges, a stream and an ampitheatre. Students have also commissioned five Maori totem poles, and designed and made a copper eel that stretches across the stream, a glasshouse constructed out of used plastic bottles, garden systems, and seed boxes also made of plastic bottles. Not surprisingly, they have won many awards:

2001 NZ Glass Environmental Award
2001/2 ARC Environmental Initiative Awards (2)
2003 Enviro Schools' Bronze Level
2004 NZ Landscape Architects Gold Award
Enviro Schools' Silver Level
MultiServe National Award (Innovative Programmes in Science)
2005 Enviro Schools' Green Gold Award
2006/07 Lot's of trees for survival awards and most productive planting award.

Have a look at their website to see what else they've done.

At the book launch, Meadowbank student Tom read out the story about Meadowbank School and all they've done to help the environment (see page 51). Perhaps you've got a story to tell about your school - do email me or leave a comment.

Sirocco the kakapo

2009-10-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to receive a free ticket to see Sirocco at Auckland Zoo. It was a warm evening when my daughter Rhiannon and I lined up for our turn to meet Sirocco. First, we listened to a talk by a Ranger (an actor playing a Ranger). We heard that kakapo are the heaviest parrot in the world and possibly one of the longest living (up to 90 years!). They are also flightless and each has its own distinct personality.

The ranger told us that even in the late 19th century the kakapo were known to be endangered. In the 1970s it was thought they were extinct but people had not given up hope of finding them. They found 18 but they were all male. Then 200 were discovered on Stewart Island but this population were in danger; pesky wild cats were feasting on them and it was soon apparent that they had to airlift them to a predator free island immediately. All should have been fine from hereonin but the kakapo were not breeding fast enough to keep the species going and the ones that were hatching were being predated by rats. They needed a helping hand. In 1995 the Kakapo Recovery team put a plan into action to give the kakapo a boost. Fourteen years later, the population has increased from 51 to 111.

After the talk, we walked into the old kiwi enclosure to see Sirocco perched on a low lying branch eying us all up and down. We were all quiet so as not to disturb him but he didn't look like the sort of chap who would frighten easily. Apparently in the wild if they are in danger they freeze. Sirocco wasn't doing that; he ambled closer to get a better look at the only child in the party - my daughter. I am always surprised that animals can pick out children in a crowd and seem to have as much interest in children as we have in them.

Unfortunately our time was up and we strolled out waving goodbye to Sirocco who was now right up to the glass. Perhaps sad that the only thing worth looking at - a child - was leaving.

See Sirocco baby photographs here

Find out more about the Kakapo Recovery Plan here and see what you can do to help.

You can see Sirocco on Flicker here

Book Launch for Eco-Rangers

2009-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

Vivienne Lingard (illustrator) and I had our first book launch for Eco-Rangers Save the Planet - yes we admit - we're a little greedy; we're going to launch the book several times. Seventy children turned up from Marlborough Primary and Glenfield Intermediate. I talked about where I got the idea for the book and how I walk the talk. Vivienne showed her gorgeous illustrations. Then we flicked through a few pages in the book on the powerpoint. In between we had a few quizes and the kids won some prizes. Thanks to Naturally Organic for their $50 vouchers, Good water for yes water bottles that are biodegradable, Good magazine for their last edition, Eco Products for their sachets and the big prize: a bucket full of eco-friendly products, Living Nature for their skin care sets, and some of my biodegradable pens. One of the quiz questions were: what are you doing in your school and home to save the planet. Students told us how they were recycling, planting trees, and turning off the light switch. Great Stuff!

On November 4th 11.00am we're at Warkworth Library and November 11th 11.00am at Remuera Library. I hope your school can get along to one of these talks.

Eco-Rangers Launch

2009-10-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday 21st October at 10.30am we'll be launching 'Eco-Rangers' to a crowd of 70 students and their teachers at Glenfield Library. Vivienne (illustrator) and I will talk about the book (of course) and how we walk the talk. So it is entertaining for the students we've got a few quizzes and a competition to end it all. The prizes were kindly gifted by environmentally friendly companies such as Yates seeds, Good water, Good magazine, Eco-Products, Naturally Organic and Living Nature. We're going to give students an opportunity to share what environmentally friendly activities they're doing at their school and home too. Vivienne and I hope to take this talk to several centres. We have one booked for Warkworth Library on the 4th November at 11.00am and we will possibly do one in Remuera, Takapuna and Albany. I see it as an opportunity to promote the book and also encourage students to do their bit to save the planet.
Photo of Vivienne Lingard (holding picture) and myself at the launch of Save Our seas in June.

Only one week to go for Eco-rangers Save the Planet book

2009-09-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Only one more week to go before 'Eco-rangers Save the Planet' book hits the shops... I'm really pleased with how fab it looks. Barbara Murison from 'Around the Bookshops' review magazine pinned me down for an interview at the Spinning Gold conference. As well as reviewing books she also organises environmental walks for a group of Forest & Bird members in the Wellington area. She said that there was a real need for this book and she liked the way I had presented information and the range of issues in the book. She felt that children would enjoy the activities and the jazzy illustrations would appeal to teens. So look out for that review...

You'll find this book different to other 'Save the Planet' type books for several reasons. For starters (and this is a biggy) I don't tell you what you should think. For the climate change chapter I present both the theories i.e. human induced global warming vs. non-human induced climate change theory. I urge you to keep informed (read lots in the news and internet) and be critical about what you read (some people have an invested interest and don't present all the facts). I also say that you (teens) will inherit the future so you need to have a say in how we handle some of the problems the olds have created. I have a whole chapter on Children Making a Difference. So the book isn't all doom and gloom (which many of these types of books are) I've included some inspiring stories of how teens and teenagers, schools and a few adults have made a difference to saving wildlife, greening their schools or communities, producing products that are safe for you and the environment, and helping people in need. I enjoyed interviewing those people so much I decided to get this blog going so I could continue. I hope you'll share your story with me sometime.

So where can you buy this book? All good book stores or online from October 3rd. RRP $19.99

EcoWarriors in Kerikeri

2009-09-14T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting five great kids at Riverview Primary School early September. These Year Six students run a green group called the EcoWarriors. Their main mission: Trading paper for Trees.

"We recycle paper and give it to Kerikeri District Council and they give us trees. We're starting to make a bird sanctuary on the school grounds," says Tayla Ebdale.

Since starting a recycling programme in the school the students have slashed the school's waste bill and the amount of rubbish going to the landfill by two thirds.

Every week, the EcoWarriors do spot checks and if a class has something in the bin that they shouldn't - they fail. The class with the best record at the end of the year is invited to a barbecue and a pool party at the caretaker, Mr Wood's home.

The students keep a record of the spot checks on their Recycling Tally Chart. Each class has one bin for recyclable material such as paper, glass and cans and one for rubbish for the landfill. Outside the classrooms are bins for food.

The caretaker, Mr Wood sorts out the recyclables and takes it to a transfer station once a term. Food scraps go into the school's compost bins or to the pigs at a nearby farm.

The students use the compost for their organic gardens. They say they are aiming for zero waste.

Tree Power

2009-09-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

I was going to tell you some lovely stories about schools making a real difference up north BUT... we have to take ACTION first on an urgent matter. I'm calling on everyone with a green bone to write to their MP because the National Government are voting on a bill that will allow people to cut native trees without permission from the Council.

If this goes ahead, (and the National Government has a simple majority to push it through), from January 2010, property owners and developers will be able to cut down all and any trees without any reference to you, their neighbourhood, their community or their council.

Here is a draft letter that you can send to your MP - we need to send an avalanche of letters - get your whole class writing:

Dear (name of MP)

I am concerned that the Government is proposing to remove our Tree Protection Rules from local communities and put at risk all the trees in our neighbourhood, our community, and our city.

This is the impact that Clause 52 of the proposed Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill 2009, will have on the urban trees of our cities.

Please urge the Government to delete Clause 52 and retain the existing tree protection provisions !

I look forward to your favourable response,

Yours sincerely,

(your name).

Urgent - Please act today !

For further information, including a list of National MP email addresses, see www.thetreecouncil.org.nz or www.stopthechop.org.nz

Cleaning up your school

2009-08-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

Conservation Week is coming up and I'll keep you posted of things happening around New Zealand. In the meantime, I found an excellent School Action Plan your class, green group or school can use. It is meant for Enviro schools but you could adapt it for your school.
The action plan chunks down into 10 different areas:

Getting to know your area.
Reduce air pollution.
Reduce your rubbish.
Spreading the word about 'only rain going down your drains'.
Be water wise.
Create a park in your school grounds.
Be power saviours.
Be travel smart.
Have a plan for disasters.
Clean up your community parks, beaches and streams.

There's a pamphlet you can download and if you live out of the Auckland area - just adapt it.

Invitation to schools

2009-08-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is an invitation to all schools to join the Yellow-Eyed Penguin’s Backyard - a term 4 interactive, online project.

New Zealand school students, from year 1 to 10, are invited to design a yellow-eyed penguin- friendly habitat restoration. This is a New Zealand International Science Festival, Yellow- Eyed Penguin Trust and Department of Conservation, Science and Technology Education project.

YEP's Backyard, uses Edward de Bono’s Other People's Views to look at yellow-eyed penguin issues from a dog’s, fisherman’s, farmer’s and other’s points of view.

Using this information students create a habitat restoration plan to submit to experts for feedback. They also assist the project by providing student-friendly information for their peers on the website.

Teachers and students are fully supported for the duration of the project with a website, an e- teacher and experts in the field

To register contact: monika@megabright.co.nz

Sneak Preview of Cover for Eco-rangers book

2009-07-30T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've just received the final cover of my book 'Eco-Rangers Save the Planet'. It has now gone to print. I'm hoping I'll be able to take a copy of the book hot off the press when I visit Wellington in September.

If you want to make a difference with the planet and hear what other kids are doing to help - this book will be right up your alley.

Due out October 2009!

Kiwi Kids Care for Whales

2009-07-05T04:12:00.000-07:00

Students and teachers at Our Lady Star of the Sea School feel so strongly about the conservation of whales and dolphins they set up a website to spread the word. The school also invites other schools to take part in a competition: learn all you can about whales and dolphins then show what you know in a large poster. Year Eight students will judge the contest.

Check out their website and watch the dolphin videos.

Cleaning Up the Coast

2009-06-21T02:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, I launched my book Save Our Seas at St. John's School in Mairangi Bay. The Sir Peter Blake Trust had picked this school to have our launch because they had been part of the Sir Peter Blake Trust Clean up our Coast programme. As well as cleaning up their local beach they also raised about $600 for the Red Socks Day. These funds will go towards the Trust to support other schools cleaning up coasts and giving awards to individuals who make a difference to the environment.

This was my first book launch in a school - now I might have all of them at one. The students were marvellous. They sang songs, acted out skits, danced and one group of children wrote and acted out a play. They put their heart and soul in to the book launch assembly.

When I walked down the aisle to sign books at the back, one young girl beckoned me. She told me with an earnest face that she was going to make up a poster and put it somewhere everyone could see it to help save our seas. Not long after, she bought two books and unfolded her poster. It was hastily drawn but you could see so much caring for the environment in her eyes.

If the book Save Our Seas can empower more children like that young girl, I feel I will have helped Sir Peter Blake in his mission to encourage young people to make a difference.

Orere School releases Kiwi

2009-06-13T20:39:00.001-07:00

After raising $1,000 for the care of kiwi chicks at Auckland Zoo, students from Orere Primary were given the trip of a lifetime: a trip to Motuora Island to help release Tangiharuru - a three week kiwi chick.

For the kids from Orere Point, their kiwi curiosity started with Oliver Liddell, when he heard a noise from his bedroom one night.
"There's been this call for a while at night when I heard what I thought must be a kiwi," he says.
But it was not a kiwi. It was a weka.
Then I found out that they were extinct around our area. They didn't live there because they'd been hunted and then we thought, "How could we help the kiwi?"
The kids sprung into action, making kiwi cards and kiwi biscuits. They sold them, and gave the money to the zoo's kiwi programme.

Read the rest of this interview and see the children release the kiwi here.

Two New Environmental Books

2009-06-07T03:51:00.001-07:00

In the next two weeks, I am releasing two new environmental books targeting the 8-12 year old reader.

Rangitoto: Te toka tu moana, The rock standing in the ocean by Maria Gill, illustrated by Heather Arnold (Penguin) RRP $19.95

Rangitoto tells the dramatic story of Auckland's most striking icon - its volcanic birth, the kaka's connection to Rangitoto, the imprint of humans on its fragile wildlife, and how the island's guardians are saving it today.

Styled as a picture book with sidebars filled with facts and legends.

Save Our Seas: Continuing the mission of the adventurer Sir Peter Blake by Maria Gill, illustrated by Vivienne Lingard (New Holland) RRP $19.99

Join Skipper L.B. Tross on a voyage around New Zealand. You will discover fascinating facts about the amazing creatures and plants that live in and beside the sea. Inspired by the inspirational work by the legendary sailor and explorer Sir Peter Blake, the Skipper reveals exactly what's going on in the oceans around us and what we can do to help.

Maria Gill, Vivienne Lingard and the Sir Peter Blake Trust are launching Save Our Seas at St John's School in Mairangi Bay on June 19th to celebrate the coastal cleanup St John's students participated in.

School Donates to Kiwi

2009-05-24T03:03:00.000-07:00

Recently, a group of people (myself included) released Orere, a kiwi chick, onto Motuora Island. The chick had a helping hand from Orere Primary school. The sixteen students had fundraised for a year, selling homebaking, to reach their goal of $1,000. They handed over their donation to Auckland zoo several weeks ago.

When Kirsty from the zoo took Orere out of the box it cuddled into her arms. After showing Orere to all the people who had come specially to see the release, Kirsty put it into a man-made burrow. Orere will live a peaceful life on Motuora Island. There are no predators to hunt the kiwi chick or pests to compete for food. When Orere is about one years old it will get caught once more then delivered back to where it came from – the Whangarei area. From then on, it can out-run and stand-up to its worst predator - the stoat.

The zoo won’t know if Orere is a boy or girl until the feathers have been tested.

To thank the Orere school students the Department of Conservation has invited the whole school - all forty of them - to the release of the last chick of the season.
Have a great trip Orere Primary! Are there any other schools out there fundraising for endangered wildlife? Tell me your stories...

Post Note: Orere School had a marvellous day out at Motuora Island releasing the kiwi chick and even made it on to Campbell Live (TV3).

Cleaning up the Creek

2009-05-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

Every weekend throughout the summer months, fifteen year old Cayla Pattison noticed that the creek running on to Torbay beach where she went sailing was getting blocked and polluted. Instead of just talking about it - she galvanised the yacht club to adopt Deep Creek. Before the big clean up weekend she did her research: seeing what other groups were doing to help care for rivers in the area. She discovered further up the creek Torbay Primary school were doing a great job keeping their end tidy and clean. Then she began a monitoring programme, which she still maintains monthly, to test the quality of the water. She reports to the Council anything out of the ordinary. Cayla plans to keep everyone informed about their adopted creek on the sailing club website: http://www.torbaysailingclub.org.nz/. In the future, she wants to get a bobcat in to clear the blocked mouth of the creek. She is also considering asking club members to help her clean up Torbay beach. Cayla is an excellent example of a teenager showing leadership skills to bring about change for the good of the environment.

To catch a rat!

2009-04-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I went with two families to Motuora Island for a kiwi release. Here's the article I wrote about it:

Two ten year old girls sketch their names in the sand.
“Remember when we were here last, Lydia?”
“Yeah, we found those tracks…”

Lydia Henderson and Brooke Wilson love penguins. So much so, when on an overnight camping trip to Motuora Island, they spent the afternoon looking for tracks but they found more than they bargained for…

“It’s too small to be Penguin footprints,” said Brooke looking closely at the marks in the sand.
“And it’s got four legs,” said Lydia.
“What could it be?” Lydia and Brooke asked.

Lydia asked her dad to have a look. He was baffled at what could leave those prints. After all, Motuora was a predator-free island so there couldn’t be any animals on the island – or could there?

Next, they asked the Rangers, Andrea Ravenscroft and Deane Williams to have a look. Andrea furrowed her brow. “Well, it definitely isn’t a bird.”
“It’s not supposed to be here, whatever it is,” said Deane.
“How did it get here?” asked Lydia.
“It’s too far for it to have swum from another island or from the mainland,” said Deane.
“So it most likely stowed away in someone’s boat, kayak or even camping gear,” said Andrea.

Deane phoned Rory Renwick from the Department of Conservation to see if he could give him some clues. Deane told him it looked like stoat tracks.
“Take a photograph of it,” suggested Rory.
Unfortunately it rained soon after the call; washing away the tracks. Three days later they found more tracks, took a photograph and emailed it to Rory. He phoned later that day to tell them it had to be a rat – a real big one. Andrea and Deane immediately put out traps near the sighting.

Over a week, the news of a rat making its way onto Motuora Island amongst the kiwi chicks and other rare birds and lizards hit the news on TV and headlines in national newspapers. Helicopters flew in trained predator catchers and Ocker the sniffer dog sped over on a boat with his handler.

The team set 400 traps all over the island – laced with peanut butter. Two weeks after the sighting - Ditch and his team of catchers found the rat in a snap trap. The rat had had his last peanut butter snack.

The dead rat was sent off to Massey University for a post mortem to look at its stomach contents. Thankfully it was a boy not a female pregnant rat – they didn’t want to find baby rats on the island. Tests showed it last ate skinks and plants – so no birds’ eggs. Then the rat was sent off to be stuffed. The Norwegian rat now sits in a showcase as a warning of what happens when people don’t check their gear before going on predator-free islands.

Back on the island, trapping continued for one more week. The team wanted to make sure it was a lone rat – not part of a family. The tracking tunnels didn’t reveal any more tracks so rangers Andrea and Deane could breathe a sigh of relief.

“Brooke! Lydia! C’mon – we’re going to release the kiwi chick now!” shouted Stuart, Lydia’s father.

In a single file the two families tramped up the hill taking a swerve to the right at the top. Kirsty Chalmers from the zoo unlatched the box and held tightly onto the North Island Brown kiwi. “Have a pat of Haetara,” she said. Lydia and Brooke used the back of their finger to stroke the three week old chick. Kirsty placed the chick into the man-made burrow and covered the hole with dried grass.

“It will be perfectly safe on this island – thanks to these two girls,” Andrea told the group. Lydia and Brooke smiled. Learning about predators at school had paid off. Now the kiwi chick was safe – perhaps they would have time to look for penguin tracks…

Sir Peter Blake Trust Forum

2009-04-18T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Chosen Ones: Regional Councils from around the country have selected 46 students to attend a forum organised by the Ministry for the Environment in partnership with the Sir Peter Blake Trust. The students will gather in Wellington to talk about environmental issues, participate in four days of workshops and activities, and then present their projects to invited guests at Parliament.
Ripley Dean from Otahmatea High is one of three Northland representatives to participate in this year's Environmental Forum. Carram Harris from Whangarei Boys' High and Christine Berkers from Kamo High will join Ripley at the Forum.
As a member of Otamatea High's enviro group, Dean has helped establish a walkway alongside a stream in Maungaturoto. The enviro group's goal is to provide walkers with an experience of Kaipara Harbour's natural environment. Ripley has also participated in tree planting projects, researched the Kaipara Harbour habitat and spoken to groups about environmental issues.
If you've been selected to attend the forum this year - write to the blog to share what you've been doing to help the environment.

Kakapo Population Growing

2009-04-05T02:40:00.000-07:00

On the 11th March another kakapo chick squeezed out of an egg to become the 100th kakapo alive. The Department of Conservation Kakapo Recovery Team and volunteers have been closely watching a handful of chicks hatching in the month of March on Codfish Island - a sanctuary just off Stewart Island (right at the bottom of the South Island). Read the Ranger and volunteer diary entries and A night in the life of a Kakapo nest Minder. These seriously cute birds have taken a decade to double their population and that is all down to the hard work of the Kakapo Recovery Team. Perhaps you can do something like that in the future? You have to be over the age of 18 to volunteer, and need to be able to survive with little sleep (because nest minding occurs during the night) but you meet fantastic people and make a difference to the population of Kakapo. You can also help by making a donation. To find out more about the rarest parrot in the world go here.

Mahurangi Students Clean up the Coasts

2009-03-29T03:20:00.000-07:00

Grace Newson and Saffron Randle, Year 9 students from Mahurangi College, recently took part in a Make a Difference (MAD) marine programme. The programme aimed to involve young leaders from all over Auckland in marine conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The students were given opportunities to explore the sea and coast with marine scientists, managers, and business-people while out on Motutapu Island or at Goat Island.
They spent two days at Motutapu Outdoor Education Camp (MOEC) and a day on board the DOC vessel Hauturu in the Te Matuku Marine Reserve, Waiheke Island. They also had one day at Cape Rodney - Okakari Point Marine Reserve and a LEARNZ experience. At the end, the students had to decide on ways they could get involved in Seaweek 2009 .
Grace and Saffron decided to encourage Year 8 students already on another marine programme (Experiencing Marine Reserves), to carry out a beach clean up while at two locations in the area - Goat Island and Mathesons Bay.
The girl's aim is to continue collecting rubbish on an annual basis and monitor the types of things collected and to compare the two locations.
"We have been impressed with their maturity and keenness, it's great to see students take an interest in protecting their local marine environment - and more important encourage others to get alongside," says Liz Maire from Department of Conservation, Warkworth.

Giving back to Tauwharanui Park

2009-03-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, my daughter's Year 6 class (and the Year 6 class in the room next to hers) camped at Tauwharanui. Tauwharanui is a gorgeous sanctuary in the Matakana/Warkworth region, north of Auckland. As well as kayaking, snorkelling and swimming, the students were treated to a walk around the park at night to listen out for kiwi calls. Unfortunately, they were out of luck hearing one; even though there are now 45 adult kiwi and six plus kiwi chicks in the predator free sanctuary. The ranger did pull a swifty on the spectactors. He pretended that a kiwi was very close with his tracking device beeping away. He put his hand into a burrow and pulled out a kiwi - a stuffed toy variety. It had the crowd going for a minute. Anyhow, back to the point of the entry; the next day the sixty children picked up litter all around the camp site in the sanctuary. In just over an hour they filled up over a dozen bags of litter. Even in a sanctuary people litter - go figure. It was their way to give back; they're pretty lucky to have the sanctuary on their doorstep. Perhaps the next time your class or school has a school trip you can spend a part of it picking up litter or planting seedlings...

Get your school involved! Meet a Metre

2009-03-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Over ten weeks (Monday 27th April to Friday 3rd July 2009) schools can join in an interactive online project. It targets Years 1 - 10 and you'll have the opportunity to get involved in real and practical science activities. The project gives you a unique chance to connect to DOC scientists.

You will:
Audit life forms (flora, fauna, fungi) within a metre section of your school grounds
Collate and present your findings
Formulate a plan to enhance the area
Create a new plan in response to feedback given by DOC experts
Monitor results

To register your school contact the project moderator.

In association with Department of Conservation and New Zealand International Science Festival

Eco-rangers Mission: Save the Planet

2009-03-01T00:25:00.000-08:00

It's weird when you're writing about something, how synchronicity happens. Recently, I was asked to write a resource for a website but I had to interview some people to get more information. To my surprise and delight I discovered it was about a science teacher at Lincoln High school in the South Island and her students. They had turned an illegal tip across from their school into a beautiful native bush. They had encouraged their local community to become involved and that inspired a group of people to turn their whole town into an eco-town! Now that is amazing!
Perhaps you've got a story that is just as inspirational or you've done something small but you know it makes a difference. Email me on my website or put a note in the comments box. I'd love to hear your story and I'm sure everyone else will too.
Ka Kite ano...

Eco-rangers Save the Planet

2009-02-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

In August 2009 I've got a new book coming out called 'Eco-rangers Save the Planet'. In the book I've got loads of ideas of what you can do to help the environment. From saving water, reducing waste, caring for our wildlife, buying wise, turning your school and home into a sustainable place, to being energy conscious. But that's not all; I also look at global issues and how it affects you. The book also tells positive stories about what people your age, adults and schools are doing to make a difference - there are some very inspiring stories.
This blog is a place for you to tell me and everyone else what you are doing to save the planet - I can't wait to hear your story...