Students help restore native forest at Port Saddle, Lyttelton
Tamariki explore, restore and connect with Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour thanks to Environment Canterbury's Youth Engagement, Education and Enviroschools team!
There were tiny treasures, towering views and even a few big, scary spiders at this year’s annual Port Saddle event.
Hands-on habitat restoration
On Thursday 20 August, tamariki from Te Kura o Waipapa Diamond Harbour Primary and Te Kura o Ōhinehou Lyttelton Primary met at Lyttelton Primary School before setting off on foot for the Port Saddle site beside Urumau Reserve.
Led by Maki (Maxwell) Barrett and assisted by Vic Hygate (Youth Engagement Advisors) the day invited ākonga (students) to get hands-on with their local environment. The students added to previous habitat restoration, increasing the total size of regenerating ngāhere (forest or bush), learning about Environmental Regulation and Protection.
Through this, the students discovered how the plants and animals living around Port Saddle are interconnected and how each plays a part in the health of Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour.
Ākonga from Te Kura o Waipapa Diamond Harbour Primary and Te Kura o Ōhinehou Lyttelton Primary
Learning about Whakaraupō's geology and natural hazards
The young explorers also lifted their gaze from the forest floor to the wider landscape. They learned about:
- The work Environment Canterbury does
- Natural hazards
- The remarkable geology of Whakaraupō, which sits within an extinct volcano.
Conversations about sedimentation showed how activity on the land can affect the harbour below.
A lunchtime show from local wildlife
Nature supplied a memorable lunchtime show: magpies and a kāhu (swamp harrier) wheeled and tussled in the air directly overhead. Around them, korimako (bellbird) song rang through the establishing forest, where restoration has been under way since 2017.
And then there were the spiders. A few were large enough to cause a startled pause, but they also offered a close-up reminder that every creature has a place in a healthy habitat (even the ones with eight legs).
From learning to action
By the end of the day, ākonga had gathered much more than observations. They left with ideas for turning their learning into action in their own school communities, helping care for the places they know and love.
The event was supported by Lyttelton Port Company and Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust. Together, the partners helped create a day filled with curiosity, connection and plenty of wild moments to remember.
Find out how the Waitaha Canterbury Enviroschools programme works