Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Pukemiro receives $120 from the Department of Conservation in return for the schools support during Seaweek 2006.

The cheque is to go towards their recent marine reserve trip. Pukemiro visited Leigh marine reserve (Cape Rodney to Okakari Point) as part of the Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) programme last Term.

Pukemiro Poor Knights competition winner Devon Beatson said "I kitea au i  Cape Rodney he maha  nga ika na te mea kahore e taea ana ki te hi ika i reira. He iti nga kina, me te tino momona.  Ko nga ika, he tino nui,  te maha o nga  rimurimu me te ataahua o te wai"

“I saw that at Cape Rodney there was heaps of fish because you can’t go fishing, there was only a little bit of kina but they were huge, there was heaps of seaweed and the visibility was pretty clear” Students then compared Matai Bay

"I kitea au i Matai Bay he iti tetahi ika. He maha te kina i runga i nga toka me nga pekapeka i runga i te onepu. I kite ahau kotahi ika anake me he tino ataahua te wai. He iti noaiho te rimurimu me te tino hohonu o te wai"

“I saw that at Matai Bay there was only one fish but there was heaps of kina and lots of starfish. The visibility was pretty clear and the waters really deep. The reason there is lots of kina is because there is no crayfish or snapper to eat them” wrote Devon as part of her competition work.   Devon Beatson joined NZ film star Bruce Hopkins and representatives from 16 other schools on a recent prize trip to the Poor Knights sponsored by Dive! Tutukaka.   TKKMO Pukemiro is also a newly appointed Enviroschool and plans to use their local marine area of Tauroa Point as one of their focus areas.  

“They hope to initiate marine conservation discussions within their school- their whanau and eventually their community, as part of their whole school approach to environmental education as an Enviroschool and as follow up to their Experiencing Marine Reserves programme participation” said EMR programme coordinator Samara Sutherland.    Pukemiro are currently investigating marine conservation examples from other communities around NZ as part of their planning process.    Pukemiro involvement in the EMR programme was supported the Department of Conservation, Kaitaia Area Office.