Our Native Bush: the beginning...

Sorry for the inactivity of this blog, I’ve been away and then was bogged down with a cold, but we are all back and rearing to go again, so where to start?

It has to be with the beginning of our wonderful Native Bush study in partnership with The Department of Conservation. This really is an authentic learning opportunity which exposes the children first hand to a variety of experiences and venues that make learning genuine and exciting. I think I am preaching… probably  to the converted if you are reading this. But it really is a series of great opportunities to look at and understand the importance of the Bush and its inhabitants.

It all began with a visit from Robyn McCool who brought the bush to our doorstep with a pile of leaf litter and all its creepy crawlies. What fun the children had to find and count the bugs.

 

 From here we chose a bug to study, research and then write a report on. Here are some goodies..

The stick insect comes from the family of insects called Phasmatodea.  It looks like a stick and it lives on a tree trunk.  It eats eucalyptus and other leaves.  Its worries are birds and humans.  If it’s a young one and something grabs its leg it can detach it and grow another one, but if it’s a grown up one it can’t.    Sophia

A stick insect can be like a twig especially when they keep very still.  They live in grasses and on fences and on twigs.  Stick insects eat rose leaves and different plants.  They fall on the ground and they are like a twig.  There are 2,500 different stick insects in the world.  I would like to see a stick insect because I have never seen one before.    James

The most common stick insect in New Zealand is the smooth bodied.  When it walks it wobbles.  It can turn into grey or green.  If a bird catches a stick insect its leg drops off and it can escape because it can grow another one.  A stick insect eats plant leaves.  You can see them on grass, fences and trees, also timber.  There are 2,500 types of stick insect in the world.   Bruno

A stick insect is aware of birds and humans.  When a stick insects break a lag it can grow another one.  They look like a stick and can be brown or green.  A stick insect has 6 legs and stick insects eat rose bushes and prunus and privet leaves.  The stick insect comes from the family of insects called Phasmatodea.   Vinnie

You might notice that they are all on Phasmatodea or more commonly known a Stick Insect, this was to teach the format of the Report and from here the children will chose their favourite insect and work on their own.  I am really impressed with the quality and detail of their reports and look forward to the next instalment.
Thanks for the photo Tracy, taken on a recent tramp. Even though they are harmless, they do look a little off- putting!