March Monitoring Month and Koura Kraze 2008

March Monitoring Month (MMM) aims to help teachers to get their students into the field, monitoring their local waterway. March is chosen because the weather is usually settled and the water is warm.

By submitting their projects studentss go into the draw to win prizes for their school.  The 2008 MMM was proudly sponsored by the BOC's 'Where There's Water' Environmental Grants Scheme and SCITECH NZ.

Below are a selection of some project submissions for MMM in 2008.

Katikati College

With the enthusiasm of their teacher Hilary Johnson 9MKE as a class undertook a comprehensive study of their local waterway, The Uretara River. Each student produced a detailed report summarising the results of their water monitoring activity. Impressively they also completed PowerPoints, created stream models and invented a game called 'fishing for bugs'.

A stream model created by students of 9MKE Katikati College in the Bay of Plenty

Opoutere School

Room 4 at Opoutere School in the Coromandel, with fantastic support from their teacher Jethro Dyer, really got into the spirit of March Monitoring Month and Koura Kraze. They produced class displays, carried out a comprehensive stream investigation and organised a PowerPoint assembly presentation showcasing their water monitoring activity. Click here to view their presentation.

A class display produced by Room 4

Levin East School 

Room 19 and their teacher Gina Wan turned March Monitoring Month into a school camp activity. They entered details about their river and where they found koura on our website. They also produced koura conservation posters, took photos and each member of the class produced a wonderful PowerPoint about their water monitoring trip. Congratulations!

Baverstock Oak School

With the help of Manukau City Wai Care this group went out searching for koura (freshwater crayfish) with outstanding results. Have a look at this beauty that they found!

Cheltenham School

For the second year in a row this school bravely took on the challenge of getting involved in March Monitoring Month by studying their local creek. Having studied Haynes Creek for two years in a row they were able to make comparisons about the environmental condition of the creek from year to year.  Importantly they showed that the creek's water level had lowered signficantly from 2007 to its current condition in 2008. Click here to see their PowerPoint Presentation.

A class of eight and nine year-olds from Appleby School in Nelson went out on a fieldtrip to Waimea River on March 20th with EMAP co-ordinator Keryn Squires and Melanie McGregor from a local iwi.  They found the health of the river to be in great shape.  Click here to read thier blog on their fieldtrip experience or click here to view the wikispace about their waterways work.  Furthermore a podcast of some of the days activites, including a karakia, can be found here.

Our Lady of Lourdes School (Palmerston North)

Teachers Jody Hayes and Colette O'Connor took their new entrant and year 2 class for a visit to the stream.  They discussed the importance of looking after the stream and then made a catchment model back at school using chalk on the concrete.  A short movie was also produced of the visit to their stream which can be viewed here.  You can also view photos at their online class blog.