It’s grey, it’s raining but these kids don’t care. They are excited to be outside, exploring and taking part in the launch of the Toyota Kiwi Guardians programme.
Continue Reading...Archives For 30/11/1999
The challenge for parents is to balance a child’s digital and physical worlds. To help kiwi families keep track of green and screen time this summer, DOC has produced a simple fun colouring chart.
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Olivia is 9 years old and lives in the Fiordland area. She writes about her recent trip to the Lake Howden Hut on the Routeburn Track.
Enjoying all the Routeburn has to offer
I liked going to stay at Lake Howden Hut. On the walk up the hill there were lots of water falls and big rocks. We had a drink of the water, saw a kaka bird and had a close look at the ferns. Some big trees were over the track that we had to go under like a tunnel.
At the hut there was a lot to do. We played in the lake and made a dam so we could have a pool, but the water was too cold. We found big rocks to climb and a stage to do our gymnastics and ballet on.
Liam on top of the world
We had pasta for dinner, then milo and chocolate biscuits for supper. We played cards before going to bed. We all wanted the top bunks but there were plenty of them so there were no fights. We played with our torches and in our sleeping bags, it was fun with everyone there.
Our Howden Hut home
The next day we walked to Key Summit, it was amazing. It is a beautiful place, even the climb up was ok! But my legs did get a bit sore.
Learning about the alpine environment.
There was information on the different plants. Liam, my brother, was our tour guide and led the way around the track. We went across bogs, around tarns and up to the top.
On the way home it was all downhill. We talked about the next track we wanted to do, maybe the Kepler or Hollyford Track?
What track will we conquer next?
By Angeline Barnes, Community Outreach Coordinator
Welcome to Piripiri campsite
Last week, while out with DOC’s Manawatu Area team, I met a young girl named Hannah. She had planned and arranged a camping trip for her group of friends and they were camping at Piripiri, a free DOC campsite, along the Pohangina River.
Cooking on the campfire
Along with a little bit of help from her mum she had organised the camping trip. She had developed invitations, food plans, budgets, travel plans, sleeping plans and more.
Making gifts from natural materials
To make it happen they allowed one adult to come, purely for health and safety reasons! But the adult’s attendance (in the form of Hannah’s mother) came with rules – she had to sleep in her own tent ‘outside’ of the campsite territory, which was marked with colourful bunting spread amongst the trees.
The campsite was so lovely – a young girl’s dream – nature as the backdrop, colourful bunting, tents, friends and lots of giggling.
Chocolate damper dough hands!
Hannah’s mum was allowed to accompany them to the river where they swam (beautiful swimming spot), jumped off a ledge and had a fabulous time. I went and had a chat to them and they were all so happy – creating their childhood memories.
Crowding around the campfire
UPDATE: The competition has now ended.
Kiwi: the real story made it onto the Listener’s 50 Best Children’s Books of 2012 list, and it’s not hard to see why. The combination of verse, factual text and beautifully luminous pictures, offers a spellbinding glimpse into the secret night-world of our amazing iconic kiwi bird.
Kiwi: the real story would be an amazing Christmas present for any lucky kiwi kid and, thanks to New Holland Publishers, we’ve got three copies to give away here on the Conservation Blog.
“Muckracker, stem-shaker
nosy parker, mud-larker, dashing darter
cricket-cruncher, mantis-muncher
eavesdropper, clodhopper, show-stopper!”
“These feisty birds have a life and spirit of their own and Kiwi: the real story will be the book to inspire your children to love and protect kiwi long into their lifetimes, ensuring that they will still be in the ‘backyards’ of our grandchildren in years to come.”
To be in to win a copy, leave a comment on this post before 12 noon, Thursday 20 December 2012, telling us why you want the book. Three winners will be selected at random and contacted by email.
The giveaway is open to everyone, except employees of the Department of Conservation, New Holland Publishers, and their immediate families; however, we can only ship to New Zealand addresses.
Good luck!
Kiwi: the real story is valued at $29.99 and will be available from good bookstores nationwide.
