Ecological Restoration

Introduction 

Ever wanted to bring back native birds and plants to your local area? It's very difficult to do on your own, but how do you go about making it a community effort? Schools are a focal point for many communities and many people like to help with projects initiated by their school. Can you come up with a vision and a plan? Do you need experts to help, and are they in your local community or do you need to reach out further? Do you have a suitable location? Do you need permission?

On this field trip, during Conservation Week, you will go to Tiromoana Bush and follow its journey and see what the future will look like. You will learn how the restoration project started, as well as who has been involved and why. You will discover what people think about Tiromoana Bush and its associated walkway, then come up with a rating which demonstrates the value of Tiromoana Bush as a community project and community amenity.

• Ecological Restoration intro video from LEARNZ on Vimeo.

• Meet Andrew - LEARNZ field trip teacher
  

Location

Tiromoana Bush makes up most of the valley immediately below the Kate Valley landfill in North Canterbury. The valley drains out to the Pacific Ocean and was once covered in thick coastal forest before being cleared for farmland. Now, TransWaste Canterbury is undertaking an ecological restoration project to re-introduce native plants, restoring wetland and forest habitats. Native plants will provide habitat for native birds and other native species to repopulate the area. The Tiromoana Bush walkway already provides stunning views out over the Pacific Ocean but will increasingly be a more "New Zealand" experience as the native plant and animal populations increase. Tirimoana Bush is planned to be an asset to the community, for generations.

Travel day: Join Andrew and the ambassadors as they make their way to Christchurch to begin the field trip. During the journey, Andrew takes the chance to photograph and talk about some of the interesting features of the trip.

• Read today's travel diary about the journey from Kerikeri to Christchurch.
• Check out the ambassador pages from today's travel day.

Tuesday 18 September

Theme for today: Big picture overview - The field trip begins at Riccarton Bush, the only area of podocarp forest remaining in Christchurch, and an example of the vision for lowland Tiromoana Bush. You will then travel north and visit Tūhaitara Coastal Park. Here you will learn about the plan to restore this area to an indigenous coastal ecosystem. You will finish the day at Tiromoana Bush.

• Read today's diary about the visit to Riccarton Bush, Tūhaitara Coastal Park, and Tiromoana Bush.
• Watch the videos for Tuesday.
• Check the ambassador's pages for their latest update.
• Listen to a recording of today's web conference.

Theme for today: Restoration planting - Take a look at a new and old planted area of Tiromoana Bush. See what has happened over time and discover the challenges faced. Find out more about natural succession and strategic planting.

• Read today's diary about exploring some of the restoration planting sites at Tiromoana Bush.
• Watch the videos for Wednesday.
• Check the ambassador's pages for their latest update.
• Listen to a recording of today's web conference.

Theme for today: Pest animal control - Find out what animals were removed from Tiromoana Bush, why they had to be removed, and how this was done. Get a better idea about how pest monitoring and trapping is done.

• Read today's diary covering all the action from the final day of the field trip.
• Watch the videos for Thursday.
• Check the ambassador's pages for their final word for the week.
• Listen to a recording of today's web conference.