Learn about our beautiful taonga species, the Pekapeka or long-tailed bat and check out our games, activities, arts and crafts and how you can better protect them! Pekapeka-Tou-Roa ~ Long-tailed Bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) Did you know we have bats in New Zealand? Our long-tailed and short-tailed bats are Aotearoa's only native land mammals! Our long-tailed bat populations are classified as nationally critical, meaning they are extremely rare, and face extinction if we don't protect them. Pekapeka Facts! Pekapeka are extremely rare, but can potentially be found all around New Zealand, including right here in Marlborough at the Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve. Pekapeka are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night and sleep during the day. If you have a keen eye (and are lucky!), you might spot them flying above the tree line or even feeding off insects under a streetlight. Pekapeka fly super-fast - you need to be quick to spot one in the air. You can also use a special bat detector to help pick up the pekapeka's high-frequency echolocation calls into a sound that is audible to humans and can tell us they are nearby! General Image Credit - Science Learning Hub ACTIVITIES, CRAFTS, GAMES AND QUIZZES Throughout this page you'll find some fun activities and resources you can explore at home with your whānau and friends. Some of these resources have been put together with the help of our fantastic local organisations. A huge thank you to those people who have helped put these together for us, we appreciate your support! Don't forget to share your activities with us, either tag us on social media or email them to us at conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz Māori folklore refer associate pekapeka with the mythical, night-flying bird, hōkioi, which foretells death or disaster. The Pekapeka is even part of the Mataora (full face ta moko). Above the eyebrows on the forehead is the tiwhana, represented by the pekapeka with wings outspread. I mōhio rānei koe? Did you know? From a Māori worldview, pekapeka (as well as moths, butterflies and cicadas) are considered manu (birds)! Pekapeka Facts! Te Ao Maori Image Credit - Community Waitakere Art - Pekapeka Wings Pekapeka Wings Test your scientific skills of observation! Have a go at drawing wings on our pekapeka's body. Use the image below or any other image you might find of a pekapeka in flight for reference. Click on the image to download! Pekapeka like to live in the hollows of tall, large like old rimu trees. The pekapeka is rather selective when choosing a roost, they prefer low altitude locations like the bottom of valleys. You will often find the bats roosts in large groups for warmth. Their natural habitat is older mature forests. Three-quarters of roost trees identified in the South Island were at least one hundred years old. This is why we need to protect our old growth forests so much! Pekapeka Facts! Habitat Image - Creator: - Science Learning Hub CRAFT - KCC Build a Bat KCC Build a Bat Head on over to the Kiwi Conservation Club page and have a go at building you very own pekapeka! Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Pekapeka Facts! Ecology & Diet The pekapeka diet is made up of flying insects, such as moths, midges, mosquitoes and beetles. Pekapeka will use their mouth to send out a pulse of sound and then listen for that sound to bounce back. When the sound bounces back it paints a picture for the Pekapeka of what is around them - this is called echolocation. These tiny bats use this echolocation to not only to find their way in the dark, but to find and capture their food. Image -Credit - Department Of Conservation Pekapeka GAMES Grab some of your friends or whānau and have a go at these fun Pekapeka games and activites. Ecolocation Game Click on the image to the right to head on over to the Kids Greening Taupo website where you can have a go at playing the Ecolocation Game! This is a fun way to demonstrate how echolocation works and how our native bats find their food. Do you know any other mammal in the world that also uses echolocation? Click on the image to download the instructions. If you give this game a go with your class or some friends take a pic or video a nd share it with us! Female Pekapeka only give birth to one live offspring a year, meaning their reproduction is very slow. A baby pekapeka is called a pup and is completely flightless for the first 4-6 weeks of life. Pekapeka pups will be left in the roost with other pups while the mothers head out to hunt and feed. Male pekapeka don't roost with the mothers and pups at all. Image Credit - Rob Morris NZ Geographics Pekapeka Facts! Breeding ACTIVITY - Test Your Knowledge Test Your Knowledge - Species Quiz! Have a go at testing wh at you have learnt about the pekapeka-tou-roa. Click on the image below to download the quiz as a PDF and draw or write in your answers! Click the image to download the quiz! Click the Bat to download the answers. Pekapeka Facts! Short-tailed bat Did you know? The only other native land mammal in New Zealand - aside from the pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bat) - is the pekapeka-tou-poto or short-tailed bat. What's special about these short-tailed cousins is that they don't just fly! They also like to scurry around on all fours on the ground. Their wings can fold like origami, tucking them away and using their forearms as front legs. This allows them to move around the forest floor looking for insects, fruit pollen or nectar. These pekapeka, like many of our native species in Aotearoa, evolved to safely move around on the ground as they had few to no threats on the ground until humans began introducing them. Image Credit - Department Of Conservation Other Pekapeka Resources Below you will find links to other Pekapeka resources, click the images to take you to the websites. Check them out! Pekapeka New Zealand Bats by David Bell Build a Bat Roosting Box Activity by Resene DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Help look after our Long-tailed Bats and become a Backyard Detective! Although the Toyota Kiwi Guardian programme has now finished and you can no longer claim the medals, their activities are still a fantastic way for you and your tamariki to support the conservation of these beautiful taonga species. Below is a link to the "Backyard Detective " activity instructions. Find out what lives in your backyard ... then take action to help protect it! Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to learn how to become a Backyard Champion Image Credit - Community Waitakere Pekapeka-tou-roa are at risk of extinction due to introduced species like rats, stoats, possums, and cats. These species often feed on the extremely vulnerable young pekapeka pups, as well as the adults. Another threat is Kauri dieback. The loss of large old trees like Kauri that are often 100's of years old, means the loss of habitat and roosts for the pekapeka and many other species out there. Pekapeka Facts! Threats Pekapeka Facts! What YOU can do! There are many ways you can help our Pekapeka to thrive, even in your own backyard. Getting involved in your local pest control and trapping group is one way you can help. Helping to lower the pests that harm our native species, not only helps the Pekapeka but other native species as well. Another way you can help our Pekapeka is by helping with tree planting. This can go a long way to helping protect our pekapeka and all of our native species. They need large trees to makes roosts in for their homes. The Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project hosts a tree planting day every year that you can get involved in - follow them on Facebook to see when their next one is - Click the link below Forest & Bird Te Hoiere Bat Recovery Project Image Credit - CKNZ Event, Meika O'Donnell Visit a Pekapeka In Marlborough you can go bat spotting at the Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve at certain times of the year. The best time of day to see them is right on dusk between December and March. Keep a keen eye on the treeline and under the streetlights and if you're lucky you can spot them feeding on the bugs in the air. It's truly a magical experience... give it a try! Pekapeka / Long-tailed Bat Gallery Images from some of our Pekapeka events 2024 Pekapeka Evening 2023 Pekapeka Evening 2020 Ten Year Forest & Bird Te Hoiere Pekapeka Project Celebration 2020 Pekapeka, Marlborough Youth Trust Event 2019 Pekapeka Event

Pelorus April 2019 Our kids had a hand at making Pest tracking tunnels and Lizard Lounges. We did a recycle project using old marketing display boards to have a go at making Pest tracking tunnels and Lizard lounges. The kids all made a tracking tunnel each, complete with paper, ink and peanut butter to attract the pests. Then they each made a lizard lounge to help attract lizards to their gardens, they filled them with lots of bits from nature for the lizards to explore. They even included some big rocks for lizards to sunbath on. The kids had a blast. Making Tracking Tunnels and Lizard Lounges

Grovetown Lagoon Feb 2019 Doing our part to keep our water ways clean, kids did a clean up around the Grovetown Lagoons We took a group of kids to the Grovetown lagoons in Blenheim to do a rubbish clean up along the water ways. The kids all geared up with gloves and bags looped the lagoons picking up rubbish along the way. As a reward for their hard work after the clean up, they got to head out on kayaks for a paddle and explore around the lagoons. Doing their part to keep NZ clean, well done kids.

Budding Birders Jan 2019 Some of our fantastic Marlborough members became budding birders today. A big thank you to all the attendees at the Picton Dawn Chorus, CKNZ and Forest & Bird 'Budding Birders' event this weekend. A fantastic morning learning about and looking for birds in Shakespeare Bay.

EARTH DAY 2024 Planet vs Plastics Envirohub Marlborough's Earth Day Picnic in the Park is our annual Flagship event, bringing our Marlborough community together to celebrate our beautiful Earth and share ways in which we can better protect it! A full family day of earth friendly fun awaits at Pollard Park in Blenheim, to mark international Earth Day, organised by Envirohub Marlborough. This annual zero-waste community picnic, which includes local musicians, awesome giveaways, environmental activities, tips about how to be environmentally sustainable at home and information about Marlborough’s fantastic environmental projects is a must on the Marlborough Events Calendar. Bring your own picnic, a blanket to sit on and enjoy Earth Day sustainably. Entry is free! This event is going to be entirely zero waste - and will be supported by our brand new Zero Waste Dishwashing Trailer and service. We will be supplying food vendors and the public with dishes, bowls, cutlery, cups (you name it!) that can be picked up by the public at stations and taken to the vendors, or if preferred, we can supply the vendors with a supply as well. We encourage the public to bring their own picnic set and/or their own cups/plates etc to eat with so we produce NO waste during the course of the event. The system is simple and we will have our team of staff and volunteers on the day to help you out. People grab what they need (clean and sterilised!), they take this to the vendor of their choice, the dirty dish is then placed at a collection station (signed and placed around the grounds and/or taken directly to the trailer) where we hygienically clean and sterilise everything for reuse again, and again, and again... and again! Keen to volunteer some time to help us out on this awesome community day out? We'd love to hear from you! Email: info@envirohub.co.nz and pop your hand up. We need help in the following areas: Zero Waste Dishwashing Trailer Set up & Pack Down Conservation Kids NZ Tent Envirohub Marlborough tent and/or market stall Let us know where you'd be keen to help and see you there! I would like to volunteer - click here! Proudly a part of the earthday.org movement! "For Earth Day 2024 on April 22nd, EARTHDAY.ORG is unwavering in our commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of ALL plastics by 2040." earthday.org 1/1

Learn more about our community garden, future living skills courses and eco-friendly retail. Waitohi Picton Community Garden Project Envirohub Marlborough is in the process of setting up a community garden for the Picton & Waikawa community. The community garden will provide an opportunity for locals to grow their own fruits & vegetables in dedicated raised beds or to contribute their time to support the wider community, in the shared growing spaces. Once up and running, we'd love you to join us! Come and meet other like minded people for a good yarn or learn a few new skills from the experts, while enjoying all the benefits that gardening and being in nature have to offer. Click here to read our latest newsletter updates , sign up to our mailing list here , or check out our Frequently Asked Questions. This project has moved into the implementation stage.. we'd love to hear from you if you would like to register your interest in volunteering, donating or contributing to the project! Volunteer sign up form Email us at communitygarden@envirohub.co.nz On the 27th August 2024 we celebrated a significant milestone! The first plants were lovingly placed in the soil, marking the start of the Waitohi Picton Community Garden. Together with Envirohub Marlborough, Te Ātiawa, Picton & Waikawa Bay Schools and the Sim's whanau, we honored the past, present and future of this cherished whenua. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved. Click on the images below to read more on the Marlborough App If you have any further questions, please get in touch at communitygarden@envirohub.co.nz Follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date- with news www.facebook.com/pictongarden

Envirohub Marlborough's Guide to Zero Waste Events - How to plan your event with less stress and maximum benefit to the community and environment. Zero Waste Events Envirohub Marlborough's Guide to Zero Waste Events Hosting a zero waste event is much easier than most event organisers realise. From a small morning tea to a large scale festival, here is how you can plan your zero waste event with less stress and maximum benefits to the community and the environment. Essentially the zero waste philosophy works towards: ‘Eliminating waste by using reusables, home compostables and recyclables’. A win for the environment and a win for your community. Advantages of Holding a Zero Waste Event More attractive to sponsors and funders A desirable setting with no rubbish Educates the public Creates a sense of pride between the organisers, vendors and patrons Reduces/eliminates the cost of waste disposal Reduces costs to vendors by eliminating expensive disposable serveware You are protecting our stunning Marlborough environment! Before the Event Think about the different ways that waste would be created.Visit the venue and note any existing rubbish receptacles. Decide what bins you will need to bring to deal with compost, recycling and any rubbish that may occur unexpectedly. Determine what can be eliminated and what can be substituted with reusables, home compostables and as a less preferred option, recyclables. As there are no commercial composting facilities currently in Marlborough, home composting and using food scraps as animal feed are currently the only options for food waste. These rely on a community approach. Consider how much food waste your event may generate. Work with your networks to find people who can take the waste for home composting/animal feed. Let stakeholders know early about your plan to ensure correct marketing & preparation Provide vendors a clear zero waste policy for them to sign and agree to. Vendors should be encouraged to reduce their “back of house” waste as much as possible by choosing reusables, recycling, composting,etc . If any “back of house” waste is created, the vendors need to agree to pack it out with them. A “pack in, pack out” system will also make vendors aware of the amount of “back of house” waste being generated. You need to explain to vendors that so called “biodegradable” or “compostable” serveware is not acceptable at this time because Marlborough doesn’t have commercial composting facilities, so it will go to the landfill. Offer to meet, and provide plenty of support to vendors/stakeholders ensuring the event is a positive and successful experience for everyone. Vendors may need to advise you in advance what dishes / cutlery they will need from you at the event Organize volunteers to help with making your zero waste event a success. Proudly let everyone know it’s a ‘Zero Waste Event’. Get the word out there on all your media channels to: BYO water bottle, coffee cup and picnic set At The Event Signage Ensure clear and bold signage for recycling, compost bins and dish wash area. Existing Rubbish Bins If your event has existing rubbish containers in the vicinity these will need to be covered with a tarpaulin so they are not used . This will allow you to have a true reading of your zero waste event results. Reusable Serveware Ideally attendees will bring their own picnic sets (cups, plates, cutlery, etc) but for those who don’t, provide food vendors with reusable crockery and cutlery for serving their food and beverages Envirohub Marlborough has re-usable serveware available to borrow or it can be sourced cheaply from local second hand shops Volunteers will need to keep the vendors provided with clean serveware as needed. A wash station can be set up for washing the serveware if an existing kitchen is not available. A template for this is available from Envirohub Marlborough. Zero Waste Dishwashing Marquee Set-up Template Recycling You will need bins for recycling glass, cans and clean cardboard. These bins need to be manned by volunteers as if they become contaminated, it will all end up in landfill. Alternatively volunteers can walk about with a rubbish bag and a recycle bin to collect any rubbish or recycling. This works really well because it prevents the possible problems occurring. Compost You will need bins or buckets for compost. If the compost is going to be fed to animals make sure you have a separate bin for serviettes Food scraps can be taken to a home compost or fed to pigs or chickens. If food scraps end up in landfill they break down without oxygen and create methane and leachate, highly toxic substances. If serviettes are used, ensure vendors know only unbleached ones are acceptable as they can be composted at home. One step at a time It is not always easy to go from a regular event to one creating absolutely zero waste all at once. You can always ease into your zero waste journey with manageable steps or a 3 year plan. For example: Don’t sell bottled water. Set up a water refill station or stations. Ask attendees to bring their own water bottles. Ask attendees to bring their own picnic set Don’t allow single use pottles or sachets, go for reusable jars and bottles of condiments Sell coffee without lids or ask vendors to ask “Do you need a lid?” Offer reusable cups for a refundable deposit (see globelet.co.nz for festivals) Avoid giveaways such as promotional materials, balloons, glow sticks etc Avoid prizes that create waste, eg. give an experience or an electronic voucher Use an ink stamp instead of wrist bands Use reusable decorations, eg. bunting Use electronic tickets Use blackboard signage or other reusable signage. Feedback After Your Event Find out from your attendees, vendors and volunteers what worked well and what could be improved and share these results with the community. Write a report to send to Council and offer advice for future events. How Envirohub Marlborough Can Help We can help with advice and planning your zero waste event We hire equipment to help your event be zero waste - reusable crockery, wash station boilers, water containers, dishwashing tubs, etc Resources for Event Organisers Beyond the Bin - Let's Talk Rubbish Videos for Event Organiers Sustainable Event Alliance - 'Reusables' at Events Hygiene Please contact Heather Barnes, Zero Waste Coordinator, if you have any queries or need support with achieving your event's zero waste goals. zerowaste@envirohub.co.nz Good luck and thank you for supporting the shift towards Zero Waste Events!

Learn more about our community garden, future living skills courses and eco-friendly retail. Waitohi Picton Community Garden Project Community Consultation The Waitohi Picton Community Garden Project is very much a community project. As such, we have been encouraging community input and support throughout the process. During the initial process, the immediate neighbours in the vicinity of the proposed garden site were consulted by our team knocking on doors and leaving information in letterboxes. Once the Marlborough District Council (MDC) announced the go ahead for the site, we announced the project and soon after held a Community Consultation Meeting in early May 2022. During this meeting we provided more information regarding the project and the site, the history and what we were hoping. We then opened the floor for constructive and open consultation from the community. Afterward, we also distributed a community survey. This survey is still active as we wish to collect as much information as possible and allow for as many members of our community to become involved and be a voice for themselves and their community. Below are some of the results obtained from our community throughout this process. Support for the Waitohi Community Garden Project We have had overwhelming and open support from our local schools (Waikawa Bay School and Queen Charlotte College), the Waikawa Marae (who we will be working closely with to create mutual benefit and sharing of resources), Te Atiawa, Food Bank and Marlborough District Council (MDC). The Food Bank has praised the potential project, siting that they have had an increase of 35% in families requesting assistance due to rising costs of living. The initial post from MDC announcing the approval of the site had 114 likes and 14 shares, with the comments overwhelmingly positive. Of many posts on social media reaching thousands within our local communities, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Currently 140 people like our Waitohi Picton Community Garden Facebook Page with 182 people following the page. Thus far we have collected over 75 responses to our Community Garden Survey from our community. Of those that responded, 95% are excited about the project. Concerns and Constructive Feedback After the initial announcement and the community meeting, we did receive some feedback from concerned members of our community. We have had several in depth, in-person discussions and written communication with community members that have raised legitimate concerns and that we are taking on board during the planning process. Some of the concerns include: increased traffic to the quiet neighbourhood potential theft and vandalism location - too far away from central Picton ensuring continual buy-in after the inital excitement wears off not enough sunshine hours in the winter organic vs non-organic preferences carparking We are actively paying heed to all such feedback throughout this process, and some answers to how we are taking these on board are outlined in below. Why this location? We have received many queries regarding the proposed location for the Garden. Is there not a location closer to central Picton? Isn't this too far away for more of the community to access? Isn't there a sunnier spot in the winter? What about xxx as a location? As stated in our FAQs, our team scoped out every possible location throughtout the immediate Picton area as a possible site for a Community Garden. All other areas examined were too small, inaccessible, flood prone, were being used for other recreational purposes, unsafe or were not permitted for our use. Please know that we did exhaust every possible location! The Ranaui/Huia St Reserve area was actually proposed to us by MDC as this area has always been ear-marked for community development. Aside from Bronte the horse, there is no other use currently for the site (e.g. the reserve area behind the Skate Park is currently a popular off-lead dog walking park and is not big enough to house both a garden and to continue to benefit our local dog walkers). We understand that there may not be much sunlight here in the winter, due to the proximity of the domain, however, many of us who live locally have the same issue and still maintain our own gardens and we will take this into consideration with the design and use of the area in these colder months. In regards to drainage, we are currently seeking exciting and innovative ways in which to combat this issue AND retain water in the area for use without draining away valuable nutrients. Stay tuned! Survey Responses Below are a few key responses we have obtained from our recent Community Garden Survey. Want to have your say? We'd love to hear from you! We will continue to gather feedback to pass on to our Focus Group, Project Manager and Focus Group so that we can take it into consideration through the planning process! CLICK HERE to have your say! Q: Are you excited about a community garden in Picton? Most responses received were from those in the community that were keen to have garden. Not all are happy with the idea, and some of those individuals have been having active and constructive discussions with us regarding their concerns and reasons for Q: If yes, what would motivate you to become involved in the Garden? Note: respondents were able to make more than one choice. Other responses to this question included: Community involvement Growing flowers Engaging tamariki at Waikawa Bay School with growing food Getting the kids involved Q: Would you be interested in renting your own plot? Those who answered yes were asked how much they would potentially pay for a plot of their own. The answers varied greatly from $5/week, $5/month to $20-$100/year. Q: Would you be interested in being involved in a Communal Plot? This outcome was actually quite surprising, with respondents overwhelmingly keen on a Communal Plot to contribute to. The respondents were then asked whether they would be interested in paying a small annual membership fee for use of a communal plot or volunteering in exchange for produce: If you have any further questions, please get in touch at info@envirohub.co.nz or pop into the Picton Environment Centre, 14 Auckland St (Picton). Follow us on Facebook to keep up-to-date- with news www.facebook.com/pictongarden

Learn about our beautiful taonga species, the Tūpoupou Hector's Dolphins and check out our games, activities, arts and crafts and how you can better protect them! Tūpoupou ~ Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori ) The Tūpoupou or Hector's dolphin is one of the smallest oceanic dolphins in the world! Did you know they can ONLY be found in New Zealand? We even have our own population of Hector's right here in Marlborough! Follow along to learn all about our tiny Tūpoupou and enjoy the fun and games along the way! Tūpoupou Facts! The Hector's Dolphin, found only in New Zealand, are the world's smallest oceanic dolphins. There are two sub-species, the Maui's that are super rare and found in the North Island, and the Hector's Dolphin found along the coastlines of the South Island. You can easily identify them by their small, rounded black dorsal fin that looks like mickey mouse's ear popping out of the water! General Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki ACTIVITIES, CRAFTS, GAMES AND QUIZZES Throughout this page you'll find some fun activities and resources you can explore at home with your whānau and friends. Some of these resources have been put together with the help of our fantastic local organisations. A huge thank you to those people who have helped put these together for us, we appreciate your support! Don't forget to share your activities with us, either tag us on social media or email them to us at conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz Hector's dolphins are revered as a taonga by Maori. Some believe that the spirits of the dead would become tutumairekurai (Hector's Dolphins). Tutumairekurai is the most common of the Maori names for Hector's dolphin, meaning "ocean dweller". Papakanua, tūpoupou, hopuhopu and upokohue were names also used - these can vary depending on hapu and iwi. Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki Tūpoupou Facts! Te Ao Maori ACTIVITY - Tūpoupou / Hector Fact Wheel Tūpoupou Spinning Fact Wheel Have some fun making this spinning wheel of Hecto r 's facts. Download and print off the template, make it nice and col ourful ... and don't forget to add some of your own facts to it as well! Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Tūpoupou are social, but it' s not unusual to see them in small groups of less than 5 or 6. They tend to prefer shallower waters along the coastlines, which is why you can often spot them from the shore if you look at the right place at the right time! They general prefer waters shallower than 100m deep, and often in murky waters where their food likes to hang out. Tūpoupou Facts! Habitat Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki ARTS & CRAFTS - Make a Tūpoupou Puppet Tūpoupou Puppet Otago University have a fantastic Hector's Dolphin Puppet activity you can do at home! Click on the image to download the template and give it ago - don't forget to share the finished puppet with us. We would love to see your creation and your conservation message. Click the image to download! Tūpoupou Facts! Ecology & Diet Hectors are opportunistic and like to feed on a wide range of prey, but they mostly feed off bottom-dwelling fish and other species. This means food that swims or hangs along close to the ocean floor. Hector's like to feed on small red cod, āhuru flatfish, stargazer, sprat and arrow squid to name a few! GAMES - Food Web Game Grab some of your friends or whānua and have a go at the food web game. Learn all about the part Tūpoupou play with in the food cycle. Food Web Game This game aim s to demonstrate how the food chain works and how each species eats and the roles they play. This also shows the important role the Hector's play in the food chain and how their numbers can affect the entire food web. Click on the image t o find out how to play! (Video instructions coming soon). If you give this game a go with your class or some friends take a pic or video and share it with us! A baby Hector's Dolphin is called a calf. A female Tūpoupou typically has one calve every 2 to 4 years, which is not very often, especially as the adults only really live for around 25 years. The calves stay with their mothers for 1 to 2 years before heading out on their own. Tūpoupou Facts! Breeding Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki ACTIVITY - Test Your Knowledge Test your knowledge - Tūpoupou Facts Have a go at testing your knowledge on what you have learnt about the Hector's Dolphin. *HINT* You can find the answers to the questions right here on this page! Click on the image below to download the quiz and have a go. See how many you can answer! Click the image to download the quiz! Click the Hector to download the answers. Tūpoupou Facts! Crazy Facts! Did you know that Dolphins communicate by making very short, high-frequency clicking sounds and even various whistles. They also communicate by slapping their tails on the water or leaping into the air. Dolphins are also very tactile, meaning they like to touch and can even leave little marks on each other's bodies with their teeth! (These are called 'rake marks'). Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki Other Tūpoupou Resources Below you will find links to other Tūpoupou resources, click the images to take you to the websites. Check them out! Hector's Dolphin, Kiwi of the Sea by Michal Bush Little Hector meets Mini Māui by Ruth Paul Department of Conservation For more Hector information click the image DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Help look after the Hector's Dolphins by becoming a costal protector! Although the Toyota Kiwi Guardian programme has now finished and you can no longer claim the medals. The activates are still a fantastic way for your tamariki to help support our conservation and native species. Below is a link to the "Costal Protector " activity instructions! Explore a coastline near you, discover what wildlife lives there. Then take action to help protect it. Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to learn how to become a Coastal Protector! Some of the biggest threats to not only our Tūpoupou / Hector's dolphins but also our Māui dolphins, are fishing nets. Dolphins can become entangled and trapped, and as they need to breathe air, they can die in a matter of minutes. Ocean pollution and litter is also a large concern and threat. Our Hector's can accidentally eat plastic and other rubbish, or be affected by illness caused by human impact. Because our Hector's and Māui like to live close to shore our boating activities can also be a threat. Hector's can be accidentally hit by boats or struck by propellers. Tūpoupou Facts! Threats Tūpoupou Facts! What YOU can do! Don't worry! There are lots of ways you can help protect our Tūpoupou Hector's and other dolphins, while still enjoying the ocean: Be a responsible with your rubbish, make sure you dispose of your rubbish correctly, so it doesn't end up in the ocean. If you are fishing, make sure you follow the correct rules to keep our Hector's safe. You can find them all here - Fishing Rules Dispose of your cat litter properly - cat feces are a source of the disease toxoplasmosis which can harm Hector's and Māui dolphins. We don't want it ending up in our oceans! Image Credit - Ailie Suzuki Act safely on the water around dolphins When out on a boat there are ways you can safely observe any marine life you come across including the Hector's dolphin. Click HERE to learn how you can safely share our coast lines with our beautiful taonga of the ocean. Image Credit - Department of Conservation NZ Visit a Tūpoupou - Hector Dolphin If you want to see Hector's here in Marlborough, why not head out to explore our beautiful sounds! Just remember wildlife is wildlife, they go where they want to so it is never a guarantee you will spot them, but keep an eye out just in case! Here are a few different business you can go explore the Marlborough Sounds with: Tūpoupou Punga Gallery Images from some of our Hector events 2023 Hector Day Event

Pelorus Dec 2019 Our very first ever trip as a group to the wild life sanctuary Our first ever trip as a group back in 2018, we headed out to Kaipupu Wildlife Sanctuary just a 10min boat ride out of Picton. Andrew from Forest and Bird talk to the kids about different pests and traps and about some native birds in Picton before heading out to the wild life sanctuary by boat to explore! Andrew showed us all around the sanctuary, explaining the predator fence and showing how it works. The kids played games and explored the sanctuary, such a fantastic day!! Kaipupu Sanctuary Trip

Pelorus March 2019 Exploring the beauty of Momorangi Bay We went to explore the beautiful Momorangi bay with our group. The kids did a bush scavenger hunt around one of the wee loop tracks, then we walked up to the look out to check out the view. After a wonderful picnic lunch we explore the shore line completing a grid search in groups documenting what we found with in our grids. Using books we looked up different shells, seaweed and even a few crabs to work out what they were called. Then it was time for some fun, a bit of jetty jumping and some paddling made for an awesome end to a great day. Exploring Momorangi Bay

Learn about our beautiful taonga species, the Tūpoupou Hector's Dolphins and check out our games, activities, arts and crafts and how you can better protect them! Rowi Kiwi Apteryx rowi The Rowi Kiwi is also known as the Okarito kiwi as it is found in an area called the Ōkarito forest in the West Coast of the South Island. The Rowi Kiwi is a relation of the well known Brown Kiwi. There are not many Rowi Kiwi in Aotearoa - only about 600 birds! Rowi are the rarest of the five species of kiwi. Through predation and habitat loss, these remarkable birds have been reduced to just one natural population at Ōkarito . Unlike some other kiwi species, both male and female Rowi take turns incubating their eggs. Rowi Kiwi Facts! General Image Credit - Department of Conservation ACTIVITIES, CRAFTS, GAMES AND QUIZZES Throughout this page you'll find some fun activities and resources you can explore at home with your whānau and friends. Some of these resources have been put together with the help of our fantastic local organisations. A huge thank you to those people who have helped put these together for us, we appreciate your support! Don't forget to share your activities with us, either tag us on social media or email them to us at conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz Kiwi are considered to be a taonga | sacred treasure to Māori, who knew it as ‘te manu huna a Tāne’, the hidden bird of Tāne, god of the forest. Kahu kiwi | Kiwi feather cloaks were made by sewing kiwi skins together, these were taonga reserved for chiefs. This indicates the mana (the status, prestige and importance of an individual) of the person within their family, and the respect and importance Māori place on kiwi. Kiwi feathers, now woven into flax cloaks, are still valued. Māori also ate kiwi, preserving them in the birds’ fat, and steaming them in a hāngī | earth oven. Rowi Kiwi Facts! Te Ao Maori - Image Credit - A Kahu kiwi kept at Te Papa Museum - from www.nzmuseums.co.nz Art - Colour a Kiwi Colour your Kiwi Did you know Rowi have grey-coloured feathers? Rowi also have unique white patches around their the head, giving each Rowi it’s own ‘face’ — no other kiwi species has this! Have a go at colou ring in your own Rowi kiwi with its distinct colours and markings. Don't forget to share your finished creation with us, email us an image - conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz Click the image to download a PDF template. A juvenile Rowi Kiwi - check out its white markings! Photo credit - The Department of Conservation. Row i Kiwi Facts! Breeding Rowi lay their one egg from July to January. Their nest is in a burrow, hollow base of a tree, or in a hollow log. The size of the egg in comparison to the mother kiwi is huge! Check out the x-ray image of the kiwi showing the egg inside the mother in our craft activity below. Rowi eggs are incubated under Operation Nest Egg. When the baby kiwi hatches, it is released into a creche environment to grow strong enough to fight off predators. Then the adult kiwi is released back to the adult population at Ōkarito, where it can mate and produce more eggs. Rowi | Okarito brown kiwi. Juvenile in a burrow. Motuara Island, February 2013. Image © Julie Alach by Julie Alach CRAFT - Rowi Kiwi Life Cycle Wheel Rowi Kiwi Spinning Life Cycle Wheel Have some fun making this Rowi Kiwi life cycle spinning wheel. Test your knowledge by cutting and pasting the life cycle images in the right order, get creative colouring in the cover and get crafty putting it all together! Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Image Credit - Department of Conservation During the day Rowi rest in a burrow, hollow tree or log, or under thick vegetation and emerge shortly after nightfall. Rowi live in a native lowland forest at Ō kārito. Juvenile Rowi live on Mana, Motuara and Blumine Islands, in the Cook Strait region. Before human settlement of New Zealand Rowi were widespread throughout the northern South Island and into the southern North Island, as far north as Lake Poukawa (Hawkes Bay). Rowi Kiwi Facts! Habitat Rowi Kiwi F acts! Ecology & Diet Rowi are flightless and nocturnal - this means they sleep during the day and are active at night. They feed by walking slowly along tapping the ground and when prey is detected they probe their bill into the leaf litter or a rotten log. Rowi eat mostly small invertebrates, especially earthworms and larvae of beetles, cicadas and moths; they also eat centipedes, spiders, crickets, weta and freshwater crayfish. Some fallen fruit and leaves are eaten. ACTIVITY - Beak Test Game Beak Test Game Our native birds have lots of different beak shapes, and the Rowi Kiwi has an impressively long beak! Do you think this makes hunting for food easier for them or more difficult? Have a go at tapping the ground and picking up items with a long kiwi beak. If you give this game a go with your class or some friends, we would love to hear all about it! Click the image to download a PDF version of this activity Image credit: Save the kiwi Did you know that the Rowi Kiwi - like other Kiwis, has nostrils at the end of its beak! A Rowi Kiwi beak does more than just smell though, it is so sensitive it can pick up little vibrations in the dirt from insects moving around. How impressive! Rowi Kiwi Facts! Crazy Facts! Other Rowi Kiwi Resources Below you will find links to other Rowi Kiwi resources, click the images to take you to the websites. Check them out! Meet the locals video Watch this video to see a real life Rowi Kiwi. How the Kiwi lost his wings Read this Māori purakau | legend about how the kiwi lost his wings and became our most treasured bird. Save the Kiwi This website not only has interesting articles about Rowi, it has heaps of cool facts and information about Kiwis in general. Check it out! Rowi Kiwi Facts! Threats So, what are the biggest threats to the Rowi Kiwi? Currently the biggest threat to Rowi survival is stoats. Stoats can attack kiwi that are four to five times heavier than themselves. Also dogs are a threat to Rowi survival. Dogs find the distinctive smell of kiwi irresistible and easy to track. Keep dogs and cats away from kiwi zones. Possums also kill kiwi, destroy eggs and compete with kiwi for burrows. So, what can we do to help? Follow below to find out!! Image Credit - Department of Conservation DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Find out what predators may be lurking in your back yard Although the Toyota Kiwi Guardian programme has now f inished and you can no longer claim the medals. The act ivities are still a fantastic way for your tamariki to help support our conservation efforts and to learn abou t native species. Below is a link to the "Backyard Detective " activity! If we know what predators are hanging around in our backyard, we know what traps to set to help protect our native species, like the Rowi Kiwi! Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to find out what predators may be lurking in your back yard. What is being done to protect the Rowi Kiwi from extinction? Have you heard of Operation Nest Egg? Rowi Kiwi eggs are collected from the wild at Ōkārito and taken to the wildlife centre on the West Coast to be incubated. They take up to 80 days to hatch, Operation Nest Egg then takes these Rowi babies to Motuara Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, to provide a safe, food-rich, crèche environment for the chicks to grow in away from predators. When they are big and strong, they are taken back to their home in the Ōkārito forest. Operation Nest Egg enables the number of birds to make it to adulthood rises from 2 to approximately 34 per season. Rowi Kiwi Facts! What YOU can do! What can you do to help? - Have a go at the DOC Kiwi Guardian Activity above, see what pests live in your area and go the extra mile by asking an adult to help you trap these pests, keeping predator numbers under control. This not only helps Rowi Kiwi, but all of our native birds. - If you visit a Kiwi sanctuary, please leave your pets at home! It is not safe to bring your dog for a walk through a Kiwi Sanctuary, in case they smell one and hunt it down in its burrow. You can report any dogs seen in kiwi sanctuaries to DOC. - Do not release unwanted cats or ferrets into the wild. They will kill kiwi and other birds. - Tell Mum and Dad to keep their speed down! Watch out for birds on roads when travelling near a kiwi sanctuary after dark. - Get involved. Join a local kiwi conservation project or start one yourself! Visit www.doc.govt.nz/rowi or www.savethekiwi.org.nz Image Credit - Department of Conservation GAME - The Predator Game Predator Game Click the image to download the instructions to the predator game! This game is a great way to learn about the negative impact predators have on our precious taonga - the Rowi Kiwi. It also teaches us how essential pest control is for the survival of our Rowi - demonstrating the positive effects it has on their survival rate! Enjoy! Rowi Kiwi Gallery Images from our most recent kiwi event 2023 Rowi Kiwi Day