Curious Minds
Schools and community
We continue to work alongside the three kura in our rohe with activities this year includingt una surveys and water monitoring in the Urenui awa, and Mangamaio and Uruti streams. We participated with Mimi school at Onaero estuary planting Oioi and Pingao to help stabilise erosion and to create suitable habitat for our native sea and shorebirds. We are aslo excited to have applied for the final round of Curious Minds funding to further investigate and learn about kōura with our kura and the Taranaki catchment communities. We are now awaiting a decision from the Curious Minds panel to see if this project can go ahead.
In 2021, a dead Kiwi was found at Pouiatoa and handed in to the Department of Conservation. To support Kiwi protection she was sent away for analysis. The results showed that she had been killed by a dog and that she had a fully formed egg still intact. Because she was in such great condition it was decided that she would be freeze-dried and encapsulate her in a case for advocacy mahi. Pūmau is the given name for her and she now resides in our office at Urenui and used to educate our tamariki in our kura. Pū a shortened form of Hapū that acknowledges that she was pregnant, and Mau that acknowledeges that she still contiues to hold the egg.
Pūmau visited students at Mimi School, Urenui School and Huirangi School as part of their pest control education and native bird enquiry kaupapa. Pūmau was able to help the tamariki understand the importance of dog control and pest control to protect our taonga species. Pūmau’s visit created a lot of classroom discussion, some great story writing about her and kiwi artwork.