The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Whanganui secondary school students are discovering pathways to careers in conservation

By Iain Hyndman
Sport Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
13 Oct, 2021 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Cameron Ryan is taking his considerable skills as a native forester and ecological restoration co-ordinator to the table as tutor of the new Careers in Conservation course for secondary school students in Whanganui. Photo / Supplied

Cameron Ryan is taking his considerable skills as a native forester and ecological restoration co-ordinator to the table as tutor of the new Careers in Conservation course for secondary school students in Whanganui. Photo / Supplied

A growing awareness of the environment among the teenage fraternity has helped form a unique alliance in Whanganui designed to teach the fundamentals of conservation.
In May, AGC Training partnered up with Whanganui-based The Learning Environment, to deliver the first Careers in Conservation course to year 11-13 students from four Whanganui
secondary schools.

The NZQA-accredited course teaches students about conservation, health and safety, sustainable land management, water use and quality, and nutrition.

It is designed for youth who feel disconnected from mainstream education and are interested in pursuing a career in conservation/kaitiakitanga, agriculture, horticulture, or similar fields. It aims to provide positive experiences of learning to support students to stay engaged with conventional education.

The Learning Environment is an organisation that runs Piwakawaka Farm, a regenerative block on the banks of the Whanganui River at Papaiti.

Cameron Ryan, Learning Environment ecological restoration co-ordinator at Piwakawaka Farm, is the Careers in Conservation tutor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ryan said the farm, waterways, and the surrounding forest became a "living learning environment" for the students on the first course in May.

"We started by simply observing the natural world, looking at the forest and seeking to understand how it works and what it needs to thrive," Ryan said.

"The students have found value in the holistic, immersive learning experiences we provide on Pīwakawaka Farm. Ultimately, though, our role is to create pathways to jobs in the field for the students.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"One of our objectives at the Learning Environment is to enable the delivery of wellbeing-centred, holistic learning experiences. We are so inspired and encouraged by how the students on the Careers in Conservation course have responded to our teaching methods. It's been a time of practical learning and personal growth that will help prepare the students for a career and a more resilient future."

Ryan said a visit to the organisation's website www,learningenvironment.nz would provide a deeper understanding of the work being undertaken at Piwakawaka Farm.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal

The Country

The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?

Listen

Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal
The Country

Farmer recounts lightning strike ordeal

He passed out and lost his vision for five to 10 minutes after being hit by lightning.

03 Sep 04:51 AM
The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?
The Country

The Country: Why did the GDT drop 4.3%?

03 Sep 01:34 AM
Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity
Listen

Burglary, floods, injury: How Farmstrong Champion Amber Carpenter coped with adversity

03 Sep 01:32 AM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP