Abacus Best Start Nature Exploration 2020/21
Biodiversity Studies At Abacus Best Start
Students have been undertaking Biodiversity surveys a couple of times each year to see what species of mammalian pests, plants, birds and bugs they have at their centre.
These biodiversity surveys often lead to many wonderful questions such as:
“What happens if birds put rubbish in their nests?”
“Where do the bugs sleep at night?”
“Are pest footprints kind of like our finger prints?”
“Why do the leaves fall off the trees?”
“What happens if there are no trees left?
Further nature play and learning at abacus
Students have engaged in a wide variety of nature activities at Abacus.
Some highlights:
Learning about river ecosystems in the sand pit
Greening Taupō Day celebrations (a week of activities)
Learning about mammalian pests and making tracking tunnels
Making bird’s nests together (on the ground and in trees)
Bush Kindergarten
Abacus Best Start have been working hard to set up their bush kindergarten excursions!
In May 2021 they walked to and from Spa Park for a couple of hours of bush kindergarten. This was an opportunity for their tamariki to get stuck in exploring, playing and learning in the native bush. They had a blast climbing and sliding down hills, playing in leaf piles, doing biodiversity surveys- finding bugs, looking at fungi, lichen and moss, and collecting sticks, acorns and leaves to bring back to their kindergarten for bug homes.
Whānau matariki Planting and Biodiversity Surveys at Spa Park
In June 2021 Abacus Best Start tamariki headed to Spa Park for a Matariki planting and nature kindergarten event with their whānau. 40 trees were planted, and kai and adventures were had.
They loved learning how to plant like a ninja, hunting for bugs and we found tonnes of basket fungi along the way!
Vision Plans for their own nature garden upgrade
After visiting Spa Park a few times, the tamariki had lots of ideas to include in their own nature garden upgrade. They wanted to make their nature area more bug and lizard friendly with lots of new native trees and bushes for bugs to live in. To achieve the best habitat for the creatures we decided to find some decomposing logs to bring in near the bug hotel just like at Spa Park. The bugs also needed rocks to hide between, plants with holes, and lots of warm areas for them to sleep during the winter. The tamariki also wanted a hut in the corner and a new painting for their wall.
Nature Garden Working Bee
In October 2021 we started bringing some of the tamariki’s nature garden ideas to life! Sian came in to prepare the site with new top soil and compost filling up the built up areas. The tamariki weeded the gardens before deciding where the plants would go. They then they planted them into their forever homes giving them a big drink of water afterwards.
Next year Abacus hope to build the hut and paint a mural for the garden.
The upgrade of Abacus Best Start’s Nature Garden was made possible thanks to the Kids Greening Taupō Contact Energy Take Action Fund. This money has not only gone towards plants, top soil and a hose for their centre, it has also allowed them to purchase some nature kindergarten bug hunting kits to take out to Spa Park!
