Mangakahia Area School EMR 2008

Year 7,8 and 10 students took part in the EMR programme in 2008. Highlights for the Year 7 and 8's included; the classroom introduction to marine biodiversity with EMR coordinator Kim Boyle, Snorkelling at the Whangarei Harbour Marine Reserve, Snorkelling at the Goat Island Marine Reserve, Writing a letter to Helen Clarke about Maui's Dolphins and the children's enthusiasm on the field trips.

The teacher had the following comments to make:
The kids loved the examples that Kim handed around to show the class during the classroom visits.
The in-water safety management was excellent.
The EMR coordinator was fabulous. The kids and I love her to bits and she's on our Christmas card list!
My students wrote letters to parliament and are planning to paint EMR fish on drains around the school to show the link between drains and waterways.
The educational value of this type of hands-on environmental education is invaluable.
Children are now educating their whanau about biodiversity and marine protection as a result of their new knowledge.
I support the spread of the EMR programme around NZ – it was excellent and is wonderful to know that our students are a new generation of thoughtful marine environment users, equipped with the knowledge they need to protect our marine environment for future generations.
More awareness and enjoyment of our marine environment has created enthusiasm and support that was not previously as.

Year 7 and 8 Action outcomes
The students made displays and posters on marine animals and wrote letters to Helen Clarke about the importance of protecting Maui's Dolphins. They received a letter back from Helen Clarke saying thank you and that she would pass it onto the Minister of Conservation. Other students made Powerpoint presentations to show the rest of the school and they plan to stencil their school drains with 'Drains to Harbour – Rainwater Only'.

Year 10 students EMR in 2008
The students went snorkelling at the new marine reserve in the Whangarei harbour and then reserched 5 fish species, shellfish and seaweeds that they saw there. They looked at Maori perspectives and focused on creating and exploring values.

One of the students (Keegan Walker) won a Open Water SCUBA diving course with EMR when he submitted his essay to EMR regarding his passion for the marine environment and how if he became a SCUBA diver that he would watch over the new reserve in the Whangarei harbour.

Mangakahia Area School 2007

EMR Mangakahia Area School Susan Reynold’s Year 7 and 8 students from Mangakahia School participated in the EMR programme in term 1 of 2007 with EMR coordinator Kim Boyle. Students had the opportunity to venture out from their inland community and experience the marine environment at Motukaroro WhangareiHarbour marine reserveand Goat Island marine reserve. Students, teachers and parents were blown out of the water by their experience at Goat Island See below for images of their amazing experience. Clelland Reynolds was selected as the most outstanding student during the EMR programme and consequently won a trip to the KnightsIslands marine reserve!It was also obvious that Clelland took great delight in the discoveries he made during the field trips and is developing a strong awareness and passion for conservation issues. Kia Ora Clelland!