Kids on marine-life learning curve

TUCKER TIME: Pirinoa and Kahutara schools enjoy a barbecue lunch after completing an inaugural education day at Lake Ferry Hotel yesterday which focused on native marine wildlife in the district.

An inaugural seminar for guardians of South Wairarapa ecosystems turned the Lake Ferry Hotel into a classroom yesterday.

Event organiser Heather Atkinson, president of the South Wairarapa Biodiversity Group, said the entire Pirinoa School roll of 30 pupils and just as many Year 5 students from Kahutara School gathered at the hotel for a multimedia session about native marine wildlife in the region, with a particular focus on longfin eels and whitebait.

Mrs Atkinson, who co-founded the biodiversity group alongside Vanessa Tipoki, said the children were led through a static display, slideshow and video about eels, whitebait and other marine wildlife which populate the lakes beyond the hotel's front doors.

Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History supplied some lesson material for the inaugural class, which Warren Field and Toni de Lautour, Greater Wellington Regional Council community project co-ordinators, helped lead.

Carterton artist Viv Walker, who illustrated the children's book, The Eels of Anzac Bridge, also spoke yesterday. A copy of the book was given to Pirinoa and Kahutara schools.

Lake Ferry Hotel co-owner Mary Tipoki said she was pleased to host the inaugural education day, which fitted with her ambition of creating a more diverse "place of community" at the hotel.

Mrs Atkinson said: "We just wanted to help educate the kids about the environment, the habitats, because they're our guardians of the future."

The day also helped develop the understanding of pupils who had been involved with the biodiversity group planting of 1500 flax, grass and native plants in the riparian zone bordering Lake Onoke, Mrs Atkinson said.

"Some of the kids had planted down here and we also wanted to give them context about why we were creating a habitat."

The biodiversity group was founded two years ago and had a mailing list of about 70 members.

She said the group had worked with territorial authorities and the Department of Conservation to complete several projects.

Other district groups shared goals on habitat creation and protection, including the Friends of Onoke Spit group, she said: "We're trying to lift awareness by being really constructive and by making positive changes."

The group's vision and goals included improving water quality and biodiversity through wetland restoration projects, the raising of community awareness about positive environmental management and its benefits, improving farming practices through support and education and promoting restorative projects around Lake Onoke.

The group also sought to "act as a conduit" between local and regional agencies and the community on environmental issues.

"In short, the group is working to empower the local community so that the ecology of the area is enhanced with specific focus on potential educational, recreational, cultural and tourism opportunities available at Lake Onoke and its tributaries."

The group met monthly and members included farmers, wine-makers, Maori stake-holders, business owners, fishermen and community leaders.

Members' combined landholding stretched from southern Martinborough to Cape Palliser and some of those within the group had received Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Encore awards and Queen Service Awards, Mrs Atkinson said.