Conservation Programme for Springboard New Zealand Students

The Forest Bridge Trust and Springboard New Zealand recently joined forces in an Auckland Council-funded project to deliver a pilot programme aimed at introducing conservation to Springboards secondary school-aged students.

Springboard was founded in 2022 and is an alternative education provider located on the old Sheepworld site on State Highway, Auckland. Springboard offers programmes which are designed to be flexible and accessible, catering to learners with diverse backgrounds and schedules. Working with Springboards General Manager Dan Gray and tutors Jason Warahi, Niki Arnold and Ryan Stanyer, Tris Bondsfield and Matu Booth from The Forest Bridge Trust developed a ten-week programme that explored the conservation and restoration of Aotearoa’s unique biodiversity.

The program started with a short introduction/overview of the biodiversity in Aotearoa, & the interconnectivity of even the smallest organisms to create a healthy ecosystem.

The Forest Bridge Trusts Ecologist and Biodiversity Advisor Virginia Moreno explained the threat that kiwi are facing from predators such as stoats, rats, weasels and ferrets. Her timeline map of kiwi in our rohe over the past 100 years was a sombre reminder of their declining numbers but highlighted the opportunity that we now have to bring kiwi back to the area by working together to ensure that the birds have safe habitats to live in.

Dean Baigent-Mercer from Forest and Bird gave an engaging presentation on our native forests and the damage possums have done. He took the students on a digital time travel tour to showcase the taonga species Aotearoa has lost. It wasn’t all doom and gloom as Dean went on to show a series of photos of forests under predator control that have regenerated. Native birds such as kererū and pāteke / brown teal have started to thrive in areas where their habitat is protected from predators. The students had some great questions, “Why is it important to protect kiwi?” which allowed Dean to explain more about ecosystems and how by taking one species away everything else can be affected.

Virginia explained to the students that the programme that The Forest Bridge Trust had set up for them was the starting point to help encourage kiwi to come back into the Dome Valley area where Springboard is located. As most students had only ever seen a kiwi in a zoo this was an exciting prospect.

Learning about the fauna that needs protection the students took on a trap-building workshop with Chris Jamieson from Matakana Traps. Chris showed the students how traps are put together and how the trapping mechanisms work. Guiding students through cutting wood and assembling boxes until 3 traps had been constructed.

Alex Wardenaar and Cam Rathe from The Forest Bridge Trusts predator control team then took over and went through the different types of traps and the pest we hope to catch. The students had the opportunity to practice setting traps, setting them off with apples and socks before heading out onto the land that surrounds the campus. Alex and Cam took the students through the process of setting up a trap line, explaining why it’s important to think like an animal and choose carefully where you place a trap. Talking through the different types of baits used and making small paths to lure the pests in. Cam explained how a flour and icing sugar blaze smeared up a tree will help to lure a curious possum whereas rats like to follow a straight edge and will think nothing of climbing trees and fences. Alex advised the students to place their rat trap on a fence post above ground. With rats being cautious about new things in their territory, he suggested that a peanut butter lure might be the key to tempting hesitant rats into the trap.

The students set up a Flipping Timmy, a DOC 200 and a rat trap and will hopefully be logging catches on Trap NZ soon.

Over the ten weeks, we were joined by other local conservation organisations.

Dean Baigent-Mercer from Forest and Bird returned in week 7 to offer students a guided walk through Tāwharanui where he focused on signs of a healthy forest.

Sarah Dimitrijevic from Whitebait Connection- Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust joined us on week 8. Sarah took the students out to the streams that surround the campus to explain more about the importance of monitoring the health of our wetlands and ensuring that our rivers and streams are safe habitats for inanga/ freshwater fish.

Monitoring the clarity of the water helps identify threats to aquatic life from pollutants including heavy metals, chemicals, and pathogens. The students used test kits and measured the water clarity of streams on site which are tributaries of the Mahurangi River.

Sarah talked about the impact on aquatic ecosystems from the recent heavy rains and flooding in Auckland. Explaining to the students the effects on the habitats of local fish, plants and invertebrates caused by changes to water flow, temperature, and water quality.

The students took samples from the streams and Sarah pointed out the many freshwater inhabitants that we often overlook yet play an important role in the ecosystem of a stream. Mayflies for example are very sensitive to organic water pollutants therefore their presences indicate clean, well-oxygenated water. Unfortunately, as Sarah explained recent Mayfly samples have shown flies with sediment-filled gills. Recent weather conditions have had a significant impact on aquatic life.

The ten-week programme culminated with a trip to Tiritiri Matangi. Despite a few showers the students enjoyed seeing firsthand what happens to an ecosystem when predators like rats, possums, and stoats are eliminated.

The programme was a learning journey for all involved and we thank the staff and students of Springboard New Zealand for their full cooperation and participation. Through guidance, mentoring and workshops we hope that we have been able to provide an insight into local conservation for the students. Giving them a better understanding of the work The Forest Bridge Trust together with many community organisations do to protect and restore local flora and fauna.

A big thank you to Auckland Council for support in funding the programme.