Katikati Students Become Kaitiaki of Their School Gully

Around 45 Year 5 and 6 students from Katikati Primary School headed into their school gully, Te Awaawa, on 10 June as part of the nature-based environmental programme Treasuring Our Place / Taonga o te Taiao. The rangatahi got stuck into hands-on conservation mahi, identifying and pulling out pest plants — including woolly nightshade, which Year 6 student Ekam Randhawa described as poisonous and harmful to touch — as well as installing a ruru (morepork) nesting box.

The programme is administered by Western Bay Museum and led by environmental educator Tammy Bruce, who teaches students about the importance of kaitiakitanga and the world of 'bugs, bush and birds'. Renaturing Katikati, the urban arm of project Parore, also contributes to the collaboration.

The ruru nesting box installed on the day was built by Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic's husband Merv, and put in place by volunteers Dave Smith and Barry Pethybridge. Through the programme, the tamariki are growing into genuine guardians of their local environment — one pulled tuber and planted seed at a time.

Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).