You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Ambassador Bob
<- Homepage: Kōkako: restoring bird song to Mt Pirongia
Kia ora,
I'm Bob the ambassador for Room 9 at North Street School in Fielding. I can't wait to meet a kōkako on this field trip. This will be my second LEARNZ field trip and I've already had a great time catching up with Tommie, Shelley's cat who I met last year. I think she really missed me!
See you soon,
Bob.
Monday 18 June
Kia ora,
Our first day of the field trip did not go as smoothly as hoped. Travelling in winter can be hard at times and today we found out why. Thick fog closed Dunedin Airport. After several delays we ended up not being able to fly to Hamilton. Instead we had to fly to Auckland and then drive over three hours south to Pureora.
It wasn’t a very exciting drive in the dark, but we eventually made it to Pureora over 14 hours after leaving for the airport this morning. Pureora is surrounded in tall, moss covered forest. I can’t wait to go exploring tomorrow.
See you then,
Bob.
Tuesday 19 June
Kia ora,
What an incredible day we have had. I didn’t think we would catch kōkako so quickly, but Dave and Amanda are experts and have had a lot of practice. We managed to catch two kōkako, one male and one female. These are amazing looking birds, but I was not able to get too close just in case I scared them. It is important to try and reduce the amount of stress on the birds, so they can quickly adjust to life in their new home.
It felt so neat helping to create a new population of kōkako on Mount Pirongia. Tomorrow we will discover how to make an area a better place for native birds and plants.
See you then,
Bob.
Wednesday 20 June
Kia ora,
It was so much fun exploring Pureora Forest today. We found out about the predators that threaten kōkako and I was pleased to hear that rats and possums have been poisoned because they kill lots of native birds. We learned about what kōkako like to eat. They eat native plants, fruit and insects but they will also eat banana if it’s offered to them. I know I like bananas a lot more than insects!
We had so much fun climbing trees that we managed to lose Shelley. I’m sure she will realise soon and find us, but in the meantime I’m off to find a kōkako.
Bye for now,
Bob.
Thursday 21 June
Kia ora,
I got in trouble today because we got lost when I went hunting for kōkako. Dave managed to find us and to make up for our bad behaviour we had to help him clear a site to try and catch more kōkako. It was hard work but us gorillas are pretty tough. Tomorrow we are going to try and catch another kōkako.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the field trip as much as I have and even though I’ve been naughty I hope you let me go on another field trip soon.
See you soon,
Bob.
Bob and Tommie enjoy catching up before the kōkako field trip. Image: LEARNZ.
Bob patiently waits with Māia the LEARNZ ambassador for his flight to Chrischurch. Image: LEARNZ.
Bob helps to move a kōkako in this box from Pureora Forest to Mount Pirongia. Image: LEARNZ.
Bob checks out a tracking tunnel but it's too small for such a mighty gorilla. Image: LEARNZ.
Dave enlists the help of Māia and Bob in attracting kōkako by playing a recorded kōkako call through a speaker. Image: LEARNZ.
Māia and Bob look for kōkako with Amanda. Image: LEARNZ.