Ambassador Alvin

Tēnā koutou,

I am Alvin the LEARNZ ambassador. I go on all the trips with Shelley and help look after the other ambassadors from your schools. This is going to be an awesome field trip to Napier.

You will find out more about natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunami and landslides and how to manage the risks of living on the boundary of two tectonic plates.

I can't wait to head to the East Coast. Sign up your ambassador now so that I have some company on the trip.

See you soon,

Alvin.

Monday 30 October

Kia ora,

I was so excited about this field trip. I have never been to Napier before, so it was cool to finally jump aboard the aeroplane and fly north. The views over the South Island were stunning, but cloud seemed to cover most of the North Island.

Luckily the weather cleared before we headed from Auckland to Napier. It was fantastic to explore Napier and wander along the beach. We saw lots of Art Deco buildings that date back to the rebuild that occurred after the 1931 earthquake. We will learn more about that this week.

Bye for now,

Alvin.

Tuesday 31 October

Kia ora,

It was such an amazing day here in Napier today. We spent most of the time out and about enjoying the sunshine. We looked at how the rocks and the shape of the land can tell us about what has happened in the past. I learnt about how to spot a fault in a cliff face and why New Zealand has so many earthquakes and landslides.

I found lots of fossils today and was surprised to see that the trails left by feeding shell fish can be fossilised and preserved in the rock.

I’m off to do some trick-or-treating for Halloween.

See you in the morning,

Alvin.

Wednesday 1 November

Kia ora,

I helped Ursula the earthquake geologist to find evidence of past earthquakes today. It was cool to see how little changes in the land can tell us so much about what has happened in the past. I did not realise that sea shells above sea level can show that the land has been uplifted in an earthquake.

We also stood on top of the fault that caused the Napier 1931 earthquake. It isn’t obvious because the fault is buried but during the quake the land moved 8 metres sideways!

Tomorrow we are going to find out how to manage natural hazards and build stronger buildings.

See you then,

Alvin. 

Thursday 2 November

Kia ora,

Today we looked at how buildings can be made stronger to reduce the impacts of earthquakes. We also looked at how engineers strengthen land, because even if buildings are strong they will still be damaged if the land is weak and moves a lot during an earthquake. 

I also learned about the simple things that we can all do to reduce the damage caused by earthquakes. Securing heavy objects and tall furniture will not only reduce damage during a quake but it will also help keep people safe from falling objects.

Well it has been a fascinating week. I hope you have learned heaps and can join me on another field trip soon.

Alvin.