Manaaki Ao exploring Waitī
Waitī is a whetū in the Matariki cluster. It is the star connected to freshwater: springs, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and the plants and animals that live in freshwater.
Waitī represents our connection to freshwater and how the degraded state of our freshwater environments might impact us. The Māori concept of Waitī links the health of freshwater to everything connected to it.
Students experience the concept of Waitī as they wade through streams and identify creatures and habitats, collecting invertebrates and freshwater fish along the way with kick nets and G-minnow traps. A clarity tube is used to assess the murky depths of water and students explore why this might change as the catchment around a stream changes from forested to urban and rural.
Of course, a day on Karioi also means a check for any introduced predators we can find. These predators impact the trees and plants that grow around waterways and many other species like insects and bird life. Traps are set and checked by students and monitoring tunnels are deployed to see what else might be roaming around.
It’s a great day for students and educators alike, as watching students break out of their comfort zones and find new appreciation for the different elements in the environment is incredibly rewarding. Recently students saw freshwater fish like bullies, juvenile short-fin eels, and kōura from local streams, while also finding weasel, rat, and hedgehog prints on their monitoring cards. When students get to experience what they’ve learnt firsthand, it brings education to life.
“Before today I thought there was nothing living in our streams, but now I know how many complex animals are living there, playing a part in our ecosystem and keeping our waters clean. If one species were to be removed from the stream I think we would see big changes”, says one student. Another student comments, “Feeding the eels and seeing them up close has given me a whole new respect for these animals. They are gentle, slow-moving, blue-eyed creatures that love salami. We must protect them to keep our streams healthy”.
This year every Year 7 and 8 student at Raglan Area School had the chance to join in this two-day outdoor classroom experience with the Karioi Project education team.
