Project Island Song Trip

On Thursday, 23 August, Room 4 ventured out on a crisp, sunny Winter's day on the floating classroom with Project Island Song,  ferried from Paihia to Urupukapuka Island, and back again.

So, what is Project Island Song?

Project Island Song as a  Floating Classroom, offers conservation education and leadership to Northland schools on the pest free islands of Ipipiri (Eastern Bay of Islands). We visited Urupukapuka Island where there are plants to be planted and the building of pest trapping construction kits for the field based component of the programme.

For many of the students, this would be a rare opportunity to get out into the Bay. The classroom learning about the local sea life and birds that are being reintroduced to the Bay, was fantastic. We learnt about

endemic trees - which are important to feed the bird life - learning solidified by seeing the trees in their natural environment, as well as the planting that the students undertook.

We also learnt how they catch and control pests on the island so that that bird life population can increase. The students did this by building of traps and tracking boxes, which encouraged the students to understand the importance of maintaining pest free zones on the Islands.

As Keira Featherstone noted in the pre-visit lesson “this would be very expensive” if the Project was left to volunteers alone. Students had leadership jobs in Health and Safety, Biosecurity, Planting, Construction and Media.

It is with much gratitude that the sponsors, Explore NZ and the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, made the outdoor education of students of the BOI Academy possible.

We would like to thank our volunteer parents without whom this trip would be more challenging: Patrick, Pete, Maaka and Rachel. Whaea Xani and Mrs Roessler had a really wonderful trip and were glad that the students learning was solidified through action.

Most of all we would like to thank our Floating Classroom teachers: Ria, Debby and BJ. You were truly amazing!