Mud Flat Ecology | School Field Trip
At the very edge of the land, the estuary seethes with life. Bacteria, mud worms, crabs, migrating fish, mangroves and oystercatchers – a fascinating ecosystem has evolved in the mud flats of New Zealand’s 300 estuaries. This fragile habitat is vulnerable to time and tide, and to erosion, pollution and other effects of human activity. Mudflats are often dismissed by people as ugly, messy environments only useful for dumping waste or reclamation. The reality is that they are populated by diverse, highly productive communities adapted to cope with the daily changes caused by tidal cycles. They are also invaluable buffer zones between land and sea and essential habitat for juvenile fish. Want to know more? Contacts Us, Email us info@learningjourneys.co.nz or request a quote
Want to know more? Contacts Us, Email us info@learningjourneys.co.nz or request a quote
An estuary is an area of water on the coast, where fresh water and sea water mix. It often forms at the mouth of a river, with large mud flats where the tides wash in and out. It is a unique home for many animals and a few plants. Their ecosystems are diverse and highly productive but under threat because estuaries have always attracted settlement by people. For Māori, estuaries were valuable food-gathering places. But as European settlement grew, farms, towns and cities began to pollute the estuaries. The land was also filled in for projects such as sewerage works and rubbish dumps. Māori protested, and there are now rules about protecting estuaries and people are aware of how important it is to keep estuaries healthy.
• Explore the mudflats to complete focus questions and species list. • Identification game (juniors) to learn important species • Games (juniors) to gain appreciation of relationships • Transects to survey population and community patterns; • Discuss environmental conditions in relation to adaptations and community/population patterns • Collection of physical data eg; exposure, mud texture, temperature variation • Population age structure study, • Productivity study, • Monitoring of bird behaviour • Investigation of whelk behaviour • Discussion : human impacts on mudflats
Question 1:
Using an outside provider like Learning Journeys allows you to avoid stress and save time to focus on the core demands of teaching and have more time with your family and friends. • Trips are well tried and tested and our local knowledge, New Zealand-wide, is extensive. • We’ll facilitate your trip as well as planning, recce-ing AND booking it (including transport, food and accommodation). Have as much or as little input as you want. • Our facilitators are secondary geography or science teachers with years of classroom as well as EOTC experience. • Trips are curriculum linked and can include NCEA assessment tasks. • RAMS forms, parents letters, gear lists and worksheets developed and provided for you. • We’re Qualmarked (Tourism New Zealand has checked us out as a safe, professional, company) and Dept. of Conservation approved. Question 2:
Answer: Yes it does cost a little more per student. However, you need to factor in the time you'll save by using Learning Journeys. You will also save the cost of relief for staff who would otherwise have come from your school, since Learning Journeys will provide one or more facilitators who will contribute to staff-student ratios. Question 3:
Answer: Safety is always paramount in our trip planning and delivery. We are acutely aware of the responsibility of being entrusted with other people’s children. We will provide you with RAMS forms for all activities included in your programme. Our Health and Safety Plan deals with every aspect of our operations and training. Hazard identification is carried out for every new activity and a RAMS (Risk Analysis and Management System) form is prepared. This process has been audited both by a Department of Conservation approved Safety Auditor and as part of our Qualmark® accreditation Our teacher-facilitators are trained in safe practice and all have First Aid qualifications. The suppliers we use are fully qualified and experienced in their specialist areas and where available we choose to work with Qualmarked® operators. Their sound safety records are further guaranteed by the Qualmark®, accreditation process. Qualmark® is New Zealand tourism's official mark of quality. All accommodation and tourism businesses carrying the Qualmark® have been independently assessed as professional and trustworthy, so you can book and buy with confidence. Question 4:
Answer: Our trips are managed and facilitated by qualified science or social science secondary teachers with classroom experience as well as many years’ experience in the field. Question 5:
Answer: Since 2001. Our oldest client did 12 consecutive yearly 3 day trips to Goat Island and Tiritiri Matangi Island. Most other schools repeat trips year after year.