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Education

New Manu Korokii Profile Group Education Centre is OPEN!

Bookings are essential for all education group visits.

Email: education@maungatrust.org or use our Education Enquiry Form.

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari offers people of all ages the opportunity to learn about the New Zealand environment and the flora and fauna which makes it unique. Here visitors can develop a deeper understanding of conservation in New Zealand and learn about the methods that have been used to keep the sanctuary pest-free. In essence the hope is to inspire others to look in their own backyards and work towards protecting the many precious environments found worldwide.

Step into an environment that inspires and engages students' inquisitive minds and where learning is done by experiencing and immersing yourself in the natural environment!

Learning opportunities

The Sanctuary Mountain® conservation education programme offers students the opportunity to:

Discuss key conservation challenges facing New Zealand’s wildlife and the technologies
Sanctuary Mountain is using to protect them.

Encounter rare and endangered New Zealand species in their natural forest habitat.

Build on knowledge about New Zealand’s unique biodiversity (flora, fauna and fungi) and ecosystems.

Learn about how species are monitored and managed in a sanctuary environment.

Appreciate that people are part of the natural world.

Discover the rich history of a community-led conservation project that is New Zealand’s largest fenced sanctuary.

Identify how to take action to help care for our native species and environments that are also important for our own wellbeing.

Learning experiences could include:

Conservation challenges

Introduced pests and predators

- Where did they come from? Why are they considered pests? What can we do?

Native biodiversity

Birds, reptiles, invertebrates and plants – discover the interconnections within the forest

- What adaptations and different roles do living things play within the forest?

- Which native species have been translocated to Maungatautari?

- Discover how we care for, survey and monitor these species.

Concepts of mātauranga Māori are woven throughout.

During your visit students might see or hear:

North Island robins, tomtits, kākā, tūī, bellbirds, hihi, tīeke, fantails, pōpokotea, kererū and wētā.

Conservation education programme

Curriculum links: Science, Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education

Suitable for: Best suited to Year 4 and above.

Please contact our educator to discuss your local curriculum needs for ECE, Years 1-3, NCEA, Cambridge Syllabus (Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation), wellness or EOTC activities or Tertiary level groups (e.g. environmental management, conservation, travel and tourism).

Numbers: Minimum of 10 students. Maximum of 2 classes (per session).

Approximate duration: 2.5 hours

Cost: $11 (inclusive of GST) per person.

Teachers and teacher aides are FREE

Please note:

A minimum charge of the equivalent of ten paying people applies for groups of less than ten for facilitated programmes to go ahead.

CONTACT US to arrange a time to discuss your specific requirements for a visit to Sanctuary Mountain®.

Bookings are essential for school groups whether you wish to self-guide or participate in our education programme. Please book a minimum of three weeks before your intended visit date.

Email: education@maungatrust.org or use our Education Enquiry Form.

FREE TEACHER PRE-VISITS
Did you know teachers who have booked a class trip are able to make a free pre-visit trip into Te Tui a Tane, southern enclosure? Simply contact us to arrange this.

Teacher Professional Development Day

Along with the Department of Conservation, Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is holding a Teacher Professional Development Day.

When: Friday 26 May 2023
Where: Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari

This is your chance to spend the day in te ngahere on Maungatautari with experienced educators from DOC and Sanctuary Mountain. Experience the joy that being in nature brings and embrace the ngahere to grow your knowledge about conservation education and how you can integrate this into your daily curriculum.

To find out more and reserve your FREE spot, please download the flyer here and click here to reserve your spot.

Share your learning with us!

We love to receive photographs of your students engaging in our education programme and we love to hear what actions you take when you get back to school! Let us know about your learning!

Virtual learning session

Sanctuary Mountain would love to bring conservation to your classroom through a virtual online learning session. It's the next best thing to a visit!

Your learners will:

Connect with one of our knowledgeable educators using Zoom (or other suitable video conferencing programme) to hear local stories and tap into our unique mainland fenced sanctuary expertise.
Ask questions of an educator directly from your classroom.
Hear about the story of New Zealand's largest, pest-proof fenced sanctuary.
Learn about Aotearoa, New Zealand's unique biodiversity that calls Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari home.
Or, learn more about pests, introduced predators, monitoring and pest control techniques Sanctuary Mountain uses to keep the maunga safe.

Other topic areas could include:

Sanctuary Mountain - a kōhanga kiwi!
Taking care of Takahē
Tuatara and other NZ reptiles protected by the pest-proof fence
Interesting invertebrates!

Let us know what your class is learning about and how we can help by tailoring an online learning session for you!

We recommend a booking size of 1-2 classes to get the most out of your virtual learning session.

Time: 30-45 minutes

Cost: $50 per session

You will need: A computer with a webcam, a microphone and good WiFi connection.

To book your virtual session, email: education@maungatrust.org

Our education sponsors

We are grateful to have the support of Mother Earth who help fund our education programme. Without these contributions our Education Programme would not be where it is today.