The EMR programme in the Hauraki area was piloted in 2008 and coordinated by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
The programme was piloted with the year 8 students from Mercury Bay Area School. The aims of running the EMR programme in the Hauraki area are:
1. Providing quality marine education opportunities to schools, communities and professionals in the Hauraki area.
2. Increasing awareness, encouraging action and support for Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve and marine conservation in New Zealand.
3. Providing the local schools and their communities with the expertise and knowledge to experience Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve environment first hand. Leading to understanding of marine conservation issues in the Hauraki Area and fostering kaitiakitanga of Te Whanganui-A-Hei and the local unprotected marine area.
The programme was successful and grew to include Colville and Tapu School students in 2009.
Students from all three schools learnt about their marine environment and marine reserves, and the habitats found in our marine reserve as well as the creatures that live in them. All students were then taught to snorkel by qualified snorkel instructors, before investigating their local unprotected marine area.
The field trip started at the southern end of Hahei Beach where children were surprised to find hardly and marine biodiversity. From there classes walked along the picturesque Cathedral Cove walkway to the Gemstone Bay snorkel trail in the heart of the Te Whanganui-A-Hei marine reserve. The reserve was established in 1992, so it has had time to grow in marine biodiversity. Children and adults alike were thrilled and amazed at the amount of life and the size of fish and crayfish.
DOC Hauraki would like to thank the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust and the Tindal Foundation for their ongoing support to continue the programme in the Hauraki Area.
Thanks also to the students, teachers and caregivers of MBAS, Colville and Tapu Schools for your enthusiasm and interest in the EMR programme.
Thanks also to Dive HQ Whitianga; Te Whanganui-A-Hei Marine Reserve Committee, Ngati Hei, DOC staff and all the individuals who made running the EMR programme a breeze.
These guys aren't for dinner!
swin little fishies swim if you can............
Ranger Becks in one of the awesome kayaks DIVE HQ helped out with
Veronica and Te Aroha checking out the unprotected area
Colville and Tapu kids at the Cathedral Cove carpark
