Waipāhīhī Predator Lessons

“Hedgehogs are just so cute,” came the cry from Waipāhīhī Primary Students. Their teachers realised the gap in their knowledge and invited KGT coordinator, Heidi, to enlighten them about the dire consequences hedgehogs and other introduced predators have had on Aotearoa/New Zealand’s biodiversity. Heidi, Rachel, and Robyn from Predator Free Taupō engaged with 7 different classes to teach about introduced predators.

Three classes of Waipāhīhī School middle school students hear of the avian predators of Aotearoa/New Zealand

Students travelled back in time to before human arrival to Aotearoa/New Zealand. They discovered how endemic Aotearoa/New Zealand animals adapted to avoid avian predators that hunted from the skies with keen eyesight by becoming nocturnal, ground dwelling, and using camouflage to hide. As time moved forward, mammalian predators were introduced which hunt with their sense of smell, at night, and on the ground.

As students played a lively game of ecological bullrush, it became clear previous defenses were inadequate for native Aotearoa/New Zealand animals with the introduction of each mammalian predator.

Polly the possum, Henry the Hedgehog, and their other destructive mates - stoat, weasel, rat, and ferret- were on display with explanations of their introduction and the vulnerable native animals targeted by each predator.

Learning continued for the students with constructing tracking tunnels to place around their school and in the local gully. They discovered that the data collected from the tunnels would help them to place the correct traps.. Through anecdotal stories, they found that you don’t catch possums with bacon so it is important to use the correct traps and baits for the introduced predator to be caught.

By the end of the sessions, students learned an important lesson. They realised even if an animal looks cute, if it is wrong environment, it is our responsibility to help protect our unique Aotearoa/New Zealand biodiversity.