Engage: What's the answer you're seeking?
In an innovative approach to conservation education, schools across New Zealand are engaging students in hands-on pest control activities as part of the ZEALANDIA lesson plan series. This series, developed with support from WWF, aims to empower students to participate in the national Predator Free 2050 goal.
Through action-based learning, students learn about the ecological impact of invasive species on native wildlife, such as kiwi and other endemic birds. Practical activities, like setting and monitoring traps, help build awareness and stewardship from a young age.
Schools can install predator traps on or near their grounds, guided by lesson plans that teach correct placement, safety, and data recording. This supports ongoing predator control to protect native fauna.
The programme also connects schools with community initiatives and government programmes under Predator Free 2050, amplifying their impact and sharing learning beyond the classroom.
Incorporating cultural knowledge is another key aspect of the programme. Mātauranga Māori (knowledge of iwi and hapū) is integrated to deepen understanding of New Zealand’s unique environment and the significance of restoring native species balance.
Activities such as "Making a tracking tunnel" allow students to monitor the presence of pest species in a neighbouring gully or their school grounds.
By embedding these activities in the ZEALANDIA lesson plan series, students not only learn theoretically about New Zealand’s ecological challenges but actively contribute to reducing invasive species, protecting native wildlife, and fostering a conservation-minded generation aligned with the country’s predator eradication efforts.
This approach is supported nationally by the Department of Conservation's Predator Free 2050 initiative, which highlights the critical role of community and education in achieving long-term pest eradication goals.
For more information about the impact of hedgehogs on native fauna, visit Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. If your school is in the Wellington region and you would like support to run this programme, contact [email protected] for ZEALANDIA's free Outreach programme. For advice or assistance in implementing this programme, also contact the ZEALANDIA Education team at the same email address.
[1] Source: ZEALANDIA and WWF New Zealand's "Lesson 4: Instigate: What's the solution?" teaching resource.
Science plays a crucial role in the environmental-science education of students in New Zealand, with hands-on learning activities like pest control becoming an integral part of the ZEALANDIA lesson plan series. The students, learning about the ecological impact of invasive species, actively contribute to reducing these species and protecting native wildlife, fostering a generation with a strong focus on education and self-development centered around conservation.
