<- homepage: Awa restoration field trip. Also Curriculum and Resources.
atom
Tiny particles you cannot see, and which are the basic building blocks of all matter (anything that takes up space is called matter). Atoms can be combined with other atoms to form molecules.
bank (river)
The side of a river.
bed (river)
The bottom of the river.
biodiversity
The number and variety of living things found within a region. From the two words 'biological' and 'diversity'.
catchment
An area surrounding a waterway that drains into that waterway.
channel (river)
All rivers flow in channels. The bottom on the channel is the bed, and the sides are called the banks.
climate change
Rapid change in climate due to human activity (mainly burning fossil fuels) increasing heat trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
condensation
The process of changing water from a gas to a liquid.
ecosourcing
Ecosourcing is collecting seeds close to where they are to be planted. It's an important part of a restoration project. It means the plants will be suited to local conditions and more likely to survive.
ecosystem
A community of living things and the environment in which they live.
erosion
A process where natural forces like water, wind, ice, and gravity wear away rocks and soil.
evaporation
The process of changing water from a liquid to a gas.
groundwater
Groundwater is the water found in aquifers beneath the ground. Dig a hole deep enough and eventually you will reach groundwater. Groundwater comes from rainwater that travels through the soil.
habitat
A place where plants and animals live.
headwaters
The source of a river, often tributary streams. They are located at the furthest point from where the river empties or merges with another.
H2O
H2O is the chemical symbol for water. Water is made up of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom that are bonded together.
introduced species
Species that are not native and that have arrived through human activity.
irrigation
Water that is used for farming or growing crops.
kaitiakitanga
Guardianship and protection. It is a way of managing the environment, based on the Māori world view.
mana whenua
The indigenous people (Māori) who have historic and territorial rights over the land.
molecule
A group of two or more atoms that bond or ‘stick’ together. The number and kinds of atoms in a molecule, and the way they are arranged, determine what substance it makes.
mouth (river)
The place where a river enters a lake, larger river, or the ocean.
native
Naturally found in a location but may be found in more than one country.
ngā momo wai
Māori recognise different types of water, known as ngā momo wai, that have different values and uses.
organism
An individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist or fungus.
pollutant
A substance which harms water, air, or soil.
precipitation
Any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth.
restoration
Helping something that has been damaged, degraded, or destroyed.
runoff
Water "running off" the land surface instead of being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating.
sediment
Material eroded from rocks that is transported by water, wind, or ice and deposited elsewhere.
stormwater
Rainwater that has drained off buildings, solid surfaces, and roads.
surface water
Surface water is the water we see above the ground. We often see surface water in ponds, rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries, and the sea.
sustainable
Meeting our own needs while enabling future generations to also meet their own needs. It can involve natural resources, as well as social equity and economic development.
tributary
A stream that feeds, or flows, into a larger stream.
water cycle
The path that all water follows as it moves around Earth in different states.
waterway
River, stream or drain. A route for water to flow through.
water vapour
Water in its gaseous state. Water that is heated turns from a liquid to a gas.
