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Action for the marine environment



Kamo Primary’s term long marine study as part of the Experiencing Marine Reserves programme culminated in a special marine assembly.

The marine assembly was a chance to showcase the marine action projects to classmates and parents as a result of all 5 year 3 & 4 class’s participation on EMR.

Kamo Primary participated in the human chain event to raise awareness of the Whangarei Harbour marine reserve boundaries. Term 4  started with EMR’s Samara Nicholas presenting in the classroom with an introduction to marine biodiversity, followed by learning to snorkel in the school pool. Students then investigated their local marine environment at Reotahi, part of the Whangarei Harbour marine reserve. The final field trip was to the long established Goat Island marine reserve at Leigh.

“I was so impressed with the marine assembly, the students had made a fantastic advertisement for marine conservation – ‘The only thing that should get hooked in a marine reserve is you’, this will feature on the schools news channel KPS News, they also performed a fantastic play, depicting perfectly the interactions between kina, snapper, crayfish and seaweed” said Samara Nicholas from EMR.

“Other projects included marine songs, a slideshow, and a marine reserve book for the school library, marine art and posters on the details of biology of different fish”.

Key marine conservation messages put across throughout the assembly such as ‘Knowing were our local marine reserve boundaries are’. As a reward for the awesome action projects, five students will now be chosen to participate in the EMR annual trip to the Poor Knights in May 2010 sponsored by Dive Tutukaka.

EMR’s programme services and equipment were provided free of charge to the school thanks to support from the Tindall Foundation. The new long wetsuits used by the programme were provided and supported by ‘Wettie’ and a grant from the Southern Trust.