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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! Waiharakeke ~ Grass Skink Oligosoma aff. polychroma Clade 3 This skink was formally kn own as the "Common S kink" - because it was just that, common! The common skink has now been separated into 5 different species, one of which is our local Waiharakeke (Marlborough) Grass Skink. Image credit: South Marlborough grass skink (Kaikōura). © Samuel Purdie These little skinks are found not only in South Marlborough but also in small areas of the wider Marlborough Region. They grow up to 80mm long and their tail is longer than their body! Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! General Image Credit - Tony Jewell 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 Image Credit - Alexander Turnbull Library, Albert Percy Godber Collection (PA-Group-00048) Reference: PAColl-3039-1-012 Ngārara was the Māori kupu | word for all reptiles, Māori called both lizards and skinks Mokomoko. All Ngārara were seen as descendants of Punga - the son of Tangaroa, the sea guardian. All of the decendants of Punga were seen as ugly and repulsive. Lizards and geckos were often feared, linking them with Whiro, the atua of darkness, evil and death. Even though Māori feared them, they also thought of them as guardians, they were put near burial caves to watch over those who had passed away. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Te Ao Maori - Art - Colour a Skink Colour your Skink Waiharakeke Grass Skinks have some pretty neat colors and patterns on them. Have a go at colou ring in our own skink, see if you can create those vibrant colors 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. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Ecology & Diet Waiharakeke Grass skinks are heliothermic, which means they like to lay in the sun to gain their heat. They eat a wide diet of not only berries and fruits, but they also hunt prey like spiders and other small insects. Image Credit - Tom Heather CRAFT - Skink Puppet Make a Skink Puppet Have fun making your very own skink finger p uppet! Get creative with the colours and decide what kind of habitat / environment your skink lives in! Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Image Credit - Tim Harker Just like other grass skinks, the Waiharakeke Grass skink likes to live in open areas including coastal vegetation, rock piles, grassland, flaxland, shrubland, screes, forest margins, tussock and modified urban / suburban habitats. Often, they can be found hiding under rocks and logs. They can be found in the eastern parts of the Marlborough Sounds, in Kaikoura and in the Wairau Valley. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Habitat Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Breeding The Waiharakeke grass skink matures at around two years old, it is then that the female goes on to breed. Female skinks can give birth to up to six babies at one time! Wow that is a lot, this normally happens in the warmer months in January and February. Image Credit - Tom Heather ACTIVITY - Who's, Who? Skink or Gecko Test your knowledge and see if you can work out what is a skink and what is a gecko? Use your research skills and see what you can find out about each of them. Click the image to download the quiz! Click the skink to download the answers. Did you know that skinks - including the Waiharakeke Grass skink - can amputate their own tails! They do this to help them escape predators, the predators can be distracted by the wiggling tail while the skink gets to safety. But don't worry they do grow back, just not as long as the orginal tail. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Crazy Facts! Other Waiharakeke Grass Skink Resources Below you will find links to other Skink resources, click the images to take you to the websites. Check them out! Department of Conservation Information on skinks online Reptiles and Amphibians of NZ by Dyland van Winkel Science Learning Hub | Pokapū Akoranga Pūtaiao Check out this cool video of a skink giving birth to its live young. DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Help attract Geckos and Skinks to your garden ! 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 "Lizard Lounge" activity! Help create a home at your place for our local lizards to hang out! Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to learn how to attract Lizards to your garden! Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! Threats So, what are the biggest threats to our native skinks? Habitat disruption has had a big impact on them, but what do we mean by 'disruption'? Anything that effects their normal habitat, this could be things like the introduction of non-native species, like cats and dogs. It could also mean people planting nonnative plants or grasses into their environment. And of course, the damage to their habitat from people either exploring or altering where they live. So, what can we do to help? Follow below to find out!! Image Credit - Make Lemonade Webiste Image Credit - Tony Jewell How can you help our Native Skinks and Geckos? There are lots of ways you can help our native skinks to survive! - Avoid catching them, it's ok to look but please don't touch them, and if you do lift a rock to spot one. DO NOT DROP THE ROCK BACK DOWN as this might squash the little skink, just place it down gently. - Keep your cats inside at nighttime and put a bell on their collars to warn the skink of their presence. - Plant native trees or shrubs around your land that they like to live in, and avoid planting non-natives if possible. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Facts! What YOU can do! If you see a skink on eggs or eggs like this ---> Please get rid of these eggs, these are plague skink eggs. Our NZ native skinks give birth to live young, they do NOT lay eggs. Plague skinks are a threat to our native skinks because they take over their habitat and push them out. Leaving our native skinks with nowhere to live. One important thing you can do is always check your belongings for skink eggs. If you are moving house from an area you know has the plague skinks, check your belongings especially your outdoor gear for skink eggs, make sure you don't move them with you into a new area. Image Credit - Forest and Bird Visit a Waiharakeke Grass Skink Why not check out some areas near you to see if you can spot some skinks? Can you find some native ones? Or do you have plague skinks where you live? Head on over to the DOC website to read about the different skinks and see where they like to live. You can get an idea of where they might live in your area, then head out for a look. If you live in Marlborough/Blenheim, you can find Waiharakeke grass skinks at these places; - Marfells Beach - Rarangi Beach - Wither Hills Just remember if you're heading out on a skink hunt, make sure you don't disturb their habitat. If you lift a rock up to look under it, DO NOT DROP THE ROCK BACK DOWN, make sure you place it back down softly so as not to hurt the skinks, geckos or other species you might find. Waiharakeke Grass Skink Gallery Images from our most recent Skink event 2023 Waiharakeke Grass Skink Day

SAVE OUR SPECIES PROGRAMME Each month, Conservation Kids NZ will be hosting one major event focusing on a particular species or habitat, that will be held all around Marlborough! Each event will also have all the information, fun, resources, arts & crafts, videos and so much more right here on our website! Accessible anywhere, any time, and by any one - EVERYONE can be a Conservation Kid and help Save Our Species! Save Our Species! Want to check out our online content? CLICK HERE!!! Each of our events are aimed at a primary school aged audience, but they are a whānau event, with everyone in the family invited to join the fun! They run for 2 hours and are jam packed with information and ways you can help to Save Our Species. Each event aims to have a collaboration with another group or organisation, celebrates a campaign (like plastic free July or World Wetland Day, etc) and has an arts & crafts element as well as outdoor games and activities. You can find all the resources, information and more right here on the website shortly after each physical event! Keep an eye on the Envirohub Marlborough Facebook Page for updates and events coming up and sign up here on our website by clicking the button below! Sign up to our next event! Click on the image to download our information pack outlining our Save Our Species programme in more detail Species Superstars! At each and every event, a stand-out tamariki will be carefully selected as the 'Species Superstar'! This tamariki would have shone in some way with their passion and enthusiasm for the species in question and their desire to better protect it and our environment. To encourage, support and inspire that passion to continue, we also issue a prize, including a certificate, some reusable goodies, a t-shirt and an experience... and more! Check out some of our past Species Superstars here Tell me more! If you'd like to know more, would like to enquire about how you can support us, sponsor this awesome whānau and tamariki programme, or if you'd like to work with us or run an event, please reach out! Email our CKNZ Youth and Families Coordinator at conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz

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

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! Moko kākāriki ~ Marlborough Green Gecko (Naultinus manukanus) Here in Aotearoa we have over 44 species of geckos! Some of which you can only find right here in Marlborough - including the very special Marlborough Green, or 'Manuka', Gecko. Gecko Facts! General There are a few ways you can spot the difference between a gecko and a skink. Geckos have broad heads with rounded snouts and large bulging eyes. They also have soft velvety-looking skin that sits almost loose on its body, whereas a skink's skin is tight and shiny. The Marlborough Green gecko is mostly an emerald, green colour, with a gold start like markings on them. Sometimes they can even be yellow in colour as well. Image Credit - Koru Native Wildlife Center 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 Image Credit - Ben Barr Māori first described the vocalizations of green geckos to Europeans as being like that of the kaka - laughter, being a repetitive call somewhere between a bark and a squeak. Māori call lizards (skinks and geckos) mokomoko. Geckos and skins were often believed to be evil and brought the feeling of miss fortune or death with them. Gecko Facts! Te Ao Maori Art - Gecko Colouring In Gecko Coloring In Download this fantastic gecko scene drawing by talented artist Larissa Larimar. Have fun colouring it in and don't forget to share it with us. We would love to see your creation! Click the image to download a PDF Sheet Marlborough green gecko is a tree-dwelling lizard, this is one of the reasons it is also called the Manuka Gecko. They like to live in low lying shrubs and small trees, with a particular fondness for Manuka and Kanuka trees. Geckos have 'sticky' feet! They have toe pads that are covered in thousands of microscopic hairs called setae. These hairs create an electromagnetic attraction known as van der Waals forces. This is what allows them to climb up walls, trees, rock... even upside down on the ceiling if they wanted to! Image Credit - Unknown Gecko Facts! Habitat CRAFT - Make a Pet Gecko Make your own pet gecko! Have a go at making your own pet gecko! You can decorate your pet gecko any way you like. You might like to create your own design or research what geckos are found in your area and decorate your pet gecko to look like them. You can find out more about the different types of geckos in NZ on the Department of Conservation website: Types of geckos: Lizards (doc.govt.nz) Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Gecko Facts! Ecology & Diet Like most of New Zealand Geckos, the Marlborough Green Geckos are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Their diet mainly consists of insects such as moths, flies, small crickets, and larvae, however, they also eat some berries and take the nectar from certain flowers too. Image -Credit - Nick Harker Gecko GAMES Grab some of your friends or whānau and have a go at these fun Gecko games and activities. Predator Game This game helps to demonstrate the effects different predators have on our gecko population. You can also add in some cool gecko 'helping hands' to see how this can also affect our gecko population. 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! Marlborough Green Geckos are very slow breeders, normally only breeding once a year. One of the things that makes our geckos so unique is that they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. This is called being 'ovoviviparous' - the eggs hatch inside the gecko mum's body! Most of our NZ geckos only give birth to one offspring at a time, and only occasionally have twins. Image Credit - Jole Knight Gecko Facts! Breeding ACTIVITY - Test Your Knowledge Gecko Names Word Find Have fun testing your knowledge and see if you can find all the different Marlborough Geckos common names. If you want a real challenge see if you can find all of their scientific names awell! Click the image to download the quiz! Click the Gecko to download the answers. Gecko Facts! Did you know that geckos can't blink? They have transparent (see-through) eyelids that are are fused together. They have to lick their eyes with their spoon-like tongue to keep them from drying out. Can you reach your eyes with your tongue? Crazy Facts! Image Credit - Orana Wildlife Park Other Gecko Resources Below you will find links to other Gecko resources. These books can be found at most book shops and library's around NZ. You can also order them online. Gecko by Raymond Huber and Brian Lovelock GO Green Gecko by Gay Hay and Margaret Tolland Reptiles and Amphibians of NZ by Dyland van Winkel DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Become a Habitat Creator and make a Lizard Lounge for your backyard! Although the Toyota Kiwi Guardian programme has now finished and you can no longer claim the medals. The activi ties are still a fantastic way for your tamariki to help support our conservation efforts and our native species. Below is a link to the "Lizard Lounge " activity instructions! Make a Lizard lounge to help attracted Lizards and Geckos to your back yard. Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to learn how to become a Habitat Creator! Some of the top threats to our NZ geckos are introduced predators, including mice, rats, hedgehogs, weasels, stoats, ferrets, cats, possums, and pigs. These predators are often active at night and hunt on the ground. Loss of habitat is also a large threat to the geckos. Clearing of grounds for human planting or building can cause geckos to lose their homes. But don't worry there is things you can do to help protect these amazing Geckos, keep reading below to find ways you can help out. Threats Gecko Facts! Image Credit - CKNZ Event, Marcus O'Donnell Gecko Facts! What YOU can do! So how can you help to protect our fantastic Geckos? There are lots of things you can do at home to help. Here are some things you can do: If you own a cat, keep it well feed and inside the house at night time. Put a bell on its collar to help alert our geckos to the cats presence. Help do predator tracking to find out if you have geckos in your back yard. More importantly do you have pests in your yard that might be harming them? Create areas in your garden for shelter for geckos, things like piles of bricks and sticks and branches. Old tin from sheds and lots of leaves and bushes. In the summer leave some small containers of water out for them around the fence line. Image Credit - CKNZ Event, Antonia O'Donnell Visit a Marlborough Green Gecko If you live in the Marlborough region, you can see some Geckos at these places below. Click the logo to be taken to their websites. Gecko Gallery Images fro m some of our Gecko events 2021 Gecko Day 2020 Koru Wildlife Visit

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! Kārearea ~ NZ Falcon Falco novaeseelandiae The Kārearea Falcon is endemic to NZ - meaning it can only be found here in Aotearoa. We have three types of Falcon in NZ: the Bush Falcon, the Eastern Falcon and the Southern Falcon. Follow along to learn more about our amazing birds of prey!! The content and resources on this page have kindly been put together with the support of the team at - Marlborough Falcon Trust - Make sure you go check them out! There are 38 species of Falcon found around the world but only one species is found here in NZ - the Kārearea. Today there are estimated to only be about 5,000-8,000 Kārearea left in NZ - making them a threatened species. Can you spot the NZ Falcon on our $20 bank note? Kārearea Facts! General 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 Image Credit - Mural found in Dunedin painted by Bruce Mahalski There is a Māori saying about how a kārearea’s cry would predict the weather, it goes like this: Ka tangi te kārewarewa ki waenga o te rangi pai, ka ua āpōpō. Ka tangi ki waenga o te rangi ua, ka paki āpōpō. Translation - When a kārearea screams in fine weather, next day there’ll be rain. When it screams in the rain, next day will be fine. Kārearea Facts! Te Ao Maori Art - Kārearea Face Mask DOC Kārearea Face Mask Department of Conservation have some really neat kids activities. Including this NZ Falcon face mask , click the image to download the PDF and get colouring! Click the image to head to their website! Kārearea Facts! Ecology & Diet Kārearea are called 'Birds of Prey' because they hunt other animals like smaller birds, rabbits and hares. NZ Falcons can fly up to 100kms per hour hunting from up high before diving down to attack their prey. Image -Credit - Marlborough Falcon Trust CRAFT - Make a Kārearea Scrape Make a Kārearea Scrape Have a go at making your very own Kārearea scrape - Falcon nest. You can even add some eggs to your nest, how many eggs did your falcon lay this season? Click the image to download the PDF sheet! Image Credit - Fern, Marlborough Falcon Trust Kārearea are mostly found in the bush and steep high country throughout Aotearoa. Here in Marlborough they are commonly found around the vineyards hunting for food. The only area of NZ you do not see them as often is the far north of the North Island. Kārearea Facts! Habitat Kārearea GAMES Grab some of your friends or whānau and have a go at these fun Kārearea games and activities . Rob the Kārearea Nest Have a go at this fun game to help demonstrate how predators affect the Falcon nests. Learn what you can do to help them to survive. Click on the image to download the instructions. If you give this game a go with your class or some friends take a picture or video a nd share it with us! Kārearea Facts! Breeding Kārearea make their nest on the ground, and it is called a 'scrape'. Each breeding season, between spring and summer they can lay anywhere between 1-4 eggs. The baby chicks hatch around 31 days and stay in the nest for up to 45 days before leaving. Check out this very cute video from Marlborough Falcon Trust of two birds feeding their chicks. ACTIVITY - Test Your Knowledge Test your Kārearea Knowledge Have a go at testing your knowledge on o ur native falcon, see what you have learnt. Click the image to download the quiz! Click the Falcon to download the answers. Image Credit - Marlborough Falcon Trust Did you know that the female Kārearea is bigger than the male? Female Kārearea can weigh around 500grams where the male is only about 350grams. In this photo you can see the size difference between local Marlborough Falcon Trust residents Dash and Wilson. Female falcon Dash is on the left and male falcon Wilson is on the right. Kārearea Facts! Crazy Facts! Other Kārearea / NZ Falcon Resources Below you will find links to other Kārearea resources, click the images to take you to the websites. Check them out! Marlborough Falcon Conservation Trust Website Wingspan, National Bird of Prey Centre Website Kārearea Fearless Falcon by Annemarie Florian Kārearea NZ Falcon by David Bell Kārearea Kids Activity Pack By Green Grubs DOC - Toyota Kiwi Guardian Activity Help look after our Kārearea NZ Falcons by becoming a Backyard Detective! Although the Toyota Kiwi Guardian program has now finished and you can no longer claim the medals, the activities are still a fantastic way for your tamariki to help support conservation and learn about native species. Below is a link to the "Backyard Detective" activity instructions! Make a tracking tunnel to find out what pest species you have in your backyard. Then you will know what action to take to help protect our Kārearea nests. Click the image to download a PDF Instruction sheet to learn how to become a Backyard Detective! Kārearea Facts! Threats Because our Kārearea like to make their nest on the ground they are often targeted by pests. Stoats, rats, cats and even dogs can steal their eggs. Another common threat to Falcons is actually powerlines! Falcons often perch on powerlines to stalk their prey, but when they open their wings to take flight, they can accidently hit the fittings on the transformer and be electrocuted. Fortunately, power companies such as Marlborough Lines are insulating their fittings when they do maintenance on the lines to help protect our Kārearea. Image Credit - Marlborough Falcon Trust Image Credit - Predator Free NZ So how can we help out native Kārearea? The best way to help our Kārearea is to protect their nests, you can do this by helping to control predators in your area. If you know of a falcons nest in your area, make sure you keep away from it. Be a responsible cat and dog owner by keeping your pets away from their nest and carry out pest control around your property. To help with predator control in your community, head on over to Predator Free NZ and get involved. Kārearea Facts! What YOU can do! Visit a Kārearea NZ Falcon How to tell the difference between a Falcon and a Swamp Harrier (Hawk) in the wild. You can see some of our local native falcons up close at the Marlborough Falcon Conservation Trust - Head on over to their website to find out more. Learn more about how to tell the difference HERE! Kārearea / NZ Falcon Gallery Images from some of our Kārearea Falcon events 2023 Kārearea NZ Falcon Day

Kaipupu Sanctuary Dec 2018 Our very first ever trip for our Pelours Members to the wild life sanctuary Our first ever trip as a Pelorous 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!!

Learn more about our community garden, future living skills courses and eco-friendly retail. Waitohi Picton Community Garden Project Newsletters Our newsletters can be viewed below by clicking on the images below. The newsletters are in the order of most recent first. Want to know the news as it happens? Want to keep in touch and be a part of the project? Great! We'd love to hear from you. Feel free to sign up to our mailing list by clicking on the link below: Subscribe to our Community Garden Newsletter! Email Join Newsletters & Updates Click on the images below for our previous newsletters and updates. Latest-September 2024 Update - March 2024 First steps - June 2022 Keen to volunteer or get more involved in this project? We'd love to hear from you! Register your interest CLICK HERE! Initial foundation works for stage one will be happening in winter/spring 2024 - opportunities to become involved may vary until the garden is better established and kicking off (hopefully!) in time for the summer! BUT there will be working bees and opportunities to work together - so please register your interest with us! If you have any further questions, please get in touch at communitygarden@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

We can help you recycle a number of hard to recycle items from bottle caps to batteries to toothpaste tubes and more. About Us Get Involved Zero Waste Conservation Kids NZ Community Garden Marine Conservation Zoe's Fund More... Collection Point Recycling Did you know Envirohub Marlborough is a collection point for numerous recycling programs? Although we would prefer everyone to choose reusable items first and foremost, we also love initiatives like these that recycle and then reuse! Feel free to drop any of the items at our Recycle Collection Point in Picton. PICTON Mariners Mall High Street, Picton Open Business Hours Items collected: All items listed below! DOWNLOAD POSTER - CLICK HERE Thank you for actioning the 5 R's Rethink - Refuse - Reduce - Reuse - Recycle Aluminium Can Tabs & Aluminium Wine Bottle Caps 'Kan Tabs for Kids' goes towards supporting the families of children on dialysis, and is the largest nationwide Lions Club project. The tabs and caps are collected in their thousands, and packaged before being sent to metal merchants for weighing and payment. A single cap works out to the equivalent of one second on dialysis. Metal Recycling Beer Bottle Caps Beer bottle caps can be recycled for scrap metal and made in to new products. Awesome! Used Good Nature Gas Canisters These are made of recycled and recyclable steel. Picton Dawn Chorus collects these once used and takes them to a local facility to be melted down and used again. Battery Recycling 2026 Update: Please drop these to the Picton Transfer Station on Gravesend Place, Picton. Help keep toxic and hazardous waste from going to landfill. Drop off your household batteries here for recycling! Batteries accepted include: powertools, mobile phones, laptops, cordless phones, hearing aides, watches, batteries, cameras and, of course, your regular household batteries! Colgate oral care goods Toothbrushes, Toothpaste Tubes, Floss and Mouthwash Containers Drop off Colgate brand only oral care waste and Envirohub Marlborough will send them to TerraCycle to be made in to new recycled products. Please remove all toothpaste and floss from the countainers and recycle the cardboard packaging in your recycling bin. Clean Used Razor Blades - ANY Brand! You can drop your clean used blades into Envirohub Marlborough and we will package them correctly and send them back to Caliwoods for repurposing or recycling. Product Stewardship at it's finest! Wool Pouches from Bargain Box/My Food Bag We would love to collect the wool pouches that keep food cool in the meal box deliveries. This wool pouch can go in your garden or compost but Picton Dawn Chorus is collecting them to cover new native seedlings. Please save them up for us and drop them off in the Mariners Mall. Thank you! Old Mobile / Cell Phones We are a drop off location for RE:MOBILE recycling for mobile phones. The phones are recycled or refurbished by RE :MOBILE and the profits are donated to Sustainable Coastlines. For more information visit https://remobile.org.nz/

PopCare - Pop Tabs PopCare features a number of oral health products to keep your pearly whites, well, pearly white! with out hurting the environment Mouthwash tabs Mouth wash tablets in plastic free packaging. Don't we all have the feeling sometimes that we just need a fresh hit to be ready for the day? By doing so it's important that the mouth wash/mouth rinse has proven anti-bacterial, anti-cavity, and anti-plaque benefits. This mouthwash features Zinc, CPC, and Erythritol to deliver a boost to oral health and fresh breath. The mouthwash is great value for money. Being around the same monthly cost as equivalent bottles in the supermarket but minus the plastic. Why Mouth wash tabs? Plastic Free Freshens Breath Stops bad bacteria Prevents plaque Handy for traveling Contains Erythritol (to deliver a boost to oral health and fresh breath) Store in jar or tin Vegan Palm oil free Made in New Zealand Tooth Tabs - Dental Tablets The PopTabs are toothpaste tablets that are a great plastic free toothpaste alternative. They do contain fluoride. The PopTabs (Toothpaste tablets) are less abrasive then normal toothpaste. The toothpaste tablets will polish the surfaces of your teeth making them feel nice and smooth. Why PopTabs - dental tablets? Plastic Free Tubless toothpaste Strengthens teeth Kills bad bacteria Removes Plaque Handy for traveling Contains Erythritol (improves oral health significantly by starving bad bacteria) The tablets re-mineralize the teeth while minimally abrasive (which can potentially help sensitive teeth if your sensitivity is due to abrasivity) Contains 1500ppm of fluoride, as per Ministry of Health guidelines No messy toothpaste tubes Store them in any container you like Vegan Palm oil free Made in New Zealand Pop Brush Round handles, classic lines - sounds like PopGuy before he got into shape. Grab yourself a bamboo handled toothbrush here, and brush in style. * Bristles are Nylon * Remove bristles with pliers and compost the handle. Price Range PopTabs (toothpaste) 2 month supply 125 tabs + tin $12 each PopWash (mouthwash) 2 months supply 125 tabs + tin $12 each Trail Pack (28 Tabs + 28 Wash) $6 each PopBrush - Bamboo Toothbrush $4.50 each

All Posts McNeilly Clan O'Donnell Family Search envirohub Apr 12, 2020 3 min Hector’s Encounter with a Stingray! This is a tale of how Hector came to be the proud owner of a stingray barb piece of art... Summer 2019/2020 we were based in my childhood... 31 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked envirohub Apr 12, 2020 3 min What Adventuring Means To Us Adventuring, exploring the world around us its what we like to do as family but what dose it mean ? For us it is family time, family... 5 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked

Sun, 15 Sept | Pollard Park - Baden Powel Reserve Welcoming Communities Week - CKNZ Open Day! Ever wonder what we do at our CKNZ events? Come and join us for a wee taster of some of the arts and crafts, activities, games and more! Open session from 1pm to 2.30pm - join us any time during that period! Click to Register! Time & Location 15 Sept 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Pollard Park - Baden Powel Reserve, 55 Parker Street, Blenheim More Information Ever wondered what we do at our CKNZ events? As a part of Welcoming Communities Week, we'd love to introduce you and ALL of our community to come and join us for a CKNZ Open Day event! Our team will be at the Baden Powel Reserve area (near the children's playground) of Pollard Park - look out for a marquee and our event flags! This is an open event, so you can turn up any time from 1pm to 2.30pm and do as many activities as you like! Depending on the weather and attendance, we will play some games and provide a sample of all kinds of activities, arts and crafts from the various events we have run already this year as a part of our CKNZ Save Our Species Programme! This is open to children of all ages and fun for the whole family! Event: Open from 1pm to 2.30pm , Sunday 15th of September (as a part of Welcoming Communities Week) Pollard Park - Childrens Playground area (Baydon Powell corner) , 55 Parker Street - Look for our CKNZ flag! For more info or queries, please contact conservationkids@envirohub.co.nz Show More Click to Register! Share this event