ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCE UNIT WaioraKo au te awa ko te awa ko au I am the river and the river is me For senior primary and intermediate classes TEACHERS’ GUIDE Acknowledgments This unit was compiled by Frances Woodhead (Environmental Education Coordinator, Horizons) with the help of teaching resources from Taranaki Regional Council, Environment Waikato and Andrew Jenks. Special thanks to Brian Lewthwaite, David Chapman, Aaron Madden, Rachel Williams, George Powell, Anne-Marie Rapley, Joanna Marshall, David Harrison, Huhana Smith, Gerrad Albert, Maree Clark, Josh Markham, Michael Patterson, Natasha de Rose, Helen Kelley, Kelly Stratford, Waiwai Wiari-Southern, Stephen Moore (Landcare Research), Staff at the Manawatu Museum and Science Centre. October 2013 ISBN: 978-1-927250-43-3 Report No. 2013/EXT/1340 11 - 15 Victoria Avenue T 0508 800 800 Private Bag 11 025 F 06 952 2929 Manawatu Mail Centre [email protected] Palmerston North www.horizons.govt.nz Foreword Dear Teacher, Welcome to ‘Waiora’. Rivers are part of our lives. How we farm the land, use water at home and in our industries all impact on a river’s ability to support life. As demands on our water resources increase, so does the importance of understanding how our individual actions can contribute, both negatively and positively, to the catchment we live in. Horizons’ aim is to find a balance between protecting and looking after our environment and maintaining our economy for a sustainable future. We encourage understanding and active care for our natural resources and we need your help. ‘Waiora’ provides us an opportunity to work together. It provides learning experiences based around a site visit to a local stream with support from Horizons staff. ‘Waiora’ offers information to support the visit and invites your involvement in monitoring water quality and stream care projects. I am confident you will find Horizons staff knowledgeable, helpful and easy to work with, and that ‘Waiora’ will help to make it easy for you to meet your curriculum requirements. I do hope you enjoy exploring the rivers of our Region and you gain understanding of how precious our natural resources are and what we can do to protect them. Michael McCartney Chief Executive Horizons Regional Council Contents Introducing Waiora What We Want to Achieve 1 About this Unit 2 Making Contact 3 ‘About the Environment’ 1 N River Facts for our Region 5 O I Activity 1: Everybody lives in a Catchment 20 T C Activity 2: The Incredible Water Cycle 22 E S Activity 3: Create a Catchment 25 Activity 4: Filling the Wellington Stadium 28 ‘In the Environment’ 2 Your Stream Visit 31 N Activity 1: Habitat Survey 32 O I T Activity 2: Measuring Water Flow 33 C E Activity 3: Water Clarity 35 S Activity 4: Temperature for Life 36 Activity 5: Streams Support Life 40 Follow-up and ‘What you can do for the Environment’ 3 Activity 1: Māori Tikanga and Reo 45 N Activity 2: River Mural 48 O I Activity 3: Stormwater and Sewage 49 T C E Activity 4: Water Conservation 51 S Activity 5: River Poetry 55 Activity 6: Adopt a Stream 56 Activity 7: Streamside Planting Projects 58 Contacts and further resources 59 Environmental Education and the New Zealand Curriculum 62 Monitoring Sheet Masters 64 Summary Discussion Points 74 Glossary 76 Introducing ‘Waiora’ ‘Waiora’ means the purest form of water, the source of life and well-being. It describes water not only as we can see and feel it, but also its quality or health. Naming this teachers’ resource unit ‘Waiora’ represents a vision for the future rather than a reflection of the condition of our waterways today. Water has many different dimensions and uses. It is a resource, a place to play, and is essential for spiritual renewal. Care and celebration of our water resources is one of the most important tasks we have as guardians of this land. ‘Waiora’ explores water through a stream visit and asks the questions what does water mean to you and how can you be involved in its care? What we want to achieve Our environmental education programme aims to encourage positive involvement in environmental issues by providing opportunities for schools to investigate and plan action for the environment. At its best, environmental education will contain the following three elements - education for the head, heart and hand: 1. Education about the environment; a factual learning experience. 2 Education in the environment; experiencing the outdoors. 3. Education for the environment; an opportunity to take action. The ‘Waiora’ unit is an example of how a range of learning outcomes, from different core subjects, can be successfully met through an action-orientated approach, based on learning in, about and for our environment. Our objectives are for your class to: • Learn about the way rivers and people depend on each other, through activities linked to the national curriculum. • Enjoy a positive, fun experience on the banks of a local stream. • See and touch a stream, discover its physical make-up and the life it supports. • Take part in monitoring and streamside restoration projects. aring for ou – C r S ra tre io a a m W 1 s About this unit This unit explains the streamside activities and suggests classroom activities to enhance learning based around the stream visit. Indicates class/school based activities. Streamside activities. Follow up work and action. ? Important questions for your class. Your stream visit Taking part in ‘Waiora’ offers your class the opportunity for a guided stream visit. The programme investigates water quality issues, aquatic habitats and the impacts of land management. We will tailor your visit to suit your class’ needs and supply all the necessary equipment. The visit can include work in the following three areas: 1. Habitat assessment. 2. Measuring the physical attributes of the stream: • Water flow. • Stream cross-section. • Clarity (an indication of sediment being carried by the stream). • Temperature. • pH/+Clarity. 3. Biological indicators of stream health (invertebrate diversity and identification). Turn to page 31 for more details about your stream visit aring for ou – C r S ra tre io a a m W 2 s Making Contact Contact the Environmental Education Coordinator at Horizons to book your guided stream visit. You will need to arrange for transport and we recommend you provide at least four extra adult helpers. Contact us by freephone 0508 800 800 or email [email protected] Horizons Region Part Waitomo Ruapehu Part Stratford Part Taupō Rangitīkei Wanganui Manawatū Palmerston North City Horowhenua Tararua aring for ou – C r S ra tre io a a m W 3 s TION EC ‘About the S 1 Environment’ Catchments and Impacts River facts for our Region To look after our rivers we need to think about the land and how we use it. We need to think of rivers in terms of catchments. Mountains, crests of hills or ridges of high ground physically define the watershed or dividing line between catchments. The boundaries of river catchments also form the administrative boundaries of our Region. Each is made up of several sub-catchments and tributaries. Your stream investigations will reflect the local land use and geology. Impacts on our Rivers Rivers supply water (‘abstraction’) Pollution from overland flow (‘non Drinking water point discharges’) Irrigation Fertilisers Vegetable washing Nutrients and bacteria from grazing animals Gravel washing Sediment from soil erosion Electricity generation Pollutants in urban stormwater Industry Intensive agriculture Rivers carry waste How much water is used? (‘point source discharges’) Groundwater use is 400,000 cubic metres Sewage treatment plants per day from an estimated 12,000 bores Vegetable washing Surface water use is 224,000 cubic metres Gravel washing per day Truck washes Electricity generation This is the equivalent of 2685 litres, Industry every day, for every person in the Region! Horizons issues “resource consents” to regulate many of these activities, and monitors their effects, to help maintain water quality. There are over 630 dairy sheds in the Manawatū Catchment alone aring for ou – C r S ra tre io a a m W 5 s Catchment Characteristics River facts for our Region Our three main catchments, the Manawatū, the Whanganui and the Rangitīkei carry water from mountains and farmland into the sea on the west coast. Smaller catchments include the Kai-Iwi, Whangaehu, Turakina and Ōhau on the west coast and the Akitio and the Ōwahanga on the east coast. The Whanganui Catchment - Tongariro to Wanganui The Whanganui is New Zealand’s third longest river and has the second greatest flow of all North Island rivers. Much of the Whanganui headwaters are diverted close to their source to generate electricity. The Catchment is mainly steep hill country with soils that are vulnerable to erosion. Landuse in the Catchment: • Pastoral – 35.1% (Sheep and Beef 34.2% / 0.9% Dairy) • Native – 54.4% • Exotic – 9.6% Main tributaries: Whakapapa, Ōngarue, Ōhura, Retaruke, Tangarakau, Manganui o te Ao, Whangamomona. Ōhura Whangamomona Taumarunui Whanganui River Wanganui Colossal Catchments! The Whanganui River Catchment drains over 7000 square km aring for ou – C r S ra tre io a a m W 6 s Manawatū Catchment - Norsewood to Foxton The Manawatū River is the only river in New Zealand that drains a catchment both sides of the mountain ranges. Land use in the Catchment is mainly agricultural except for native forest in the ranges where land is unsuitable for farming. Flood protection and drainage works to allow the Manawatū plains to be developed for farmland have modified the River. Landuse in the Catchment: • Pastoral – 88.4% (Sheep and Beef 80.5% / 7.9% Dairy) • Native – 7.7% • Exotic – 3.4% Main tributaries: Mangahao, Mangatainoka, Mākākahi, Tiraumea, Ōroua, Pohangina.