Penguin Experience 2011

Are you penguin mad? Keen to learn more about the Taranaki coastal environment and its natural wildlife? 60 Springs, the environmental education programme offered by Puke Ariki, is giving you a chance to enjoy your own up close and personal penguin experience on a three day interactive camp, based at Urenui Beach Camp, Urenui.

Photo: John Elliot

Learn from New Zealand penguin and conservation experts about the issues facing our Little Blue Penguins and what you can do to help. Use wildlife tracking techniques and a night‐vision camera to help survey local penguin populations, plus a whole heap more hands‐on activities.

Aimed at Year 9-13 students, the camp will start and finish at Puke Ariki, New Plymouth and will be primarily based at Urenui Beach Camp. Field trips include a visit to the Rapanui Grey Faced Petrel Colony (only mainland population in Taranaki) and Little Blue Penguin colony at Wai‐iti Beach.

Visit the 60 Springs page to learn more and to download an application form.  Applications close 26 September.

Puke Ariki Science Fair Workshops

This week members of our 60 Springs & Education teams - Nathan, Fiona and Hoani - organised a series of fun workshops focusing on the theme of 60 Springs: sustainability, education and creativity.

Based at Puke Ariki, 60 students from 4 schools around Taranaki participated in a variety of interactive, fun workshops which included demonstrations of electric bikes, promoting a sustainable future, inspirational videos and terraquaculture, with presentations from Michael Lawley (EcoInnovation), Kama Burwell (Hive Taranaki) and Nathaniel Benefield (New Plymouth District Council).

Did you take part in these workshops? What did you think? What future workshops would you like to see at Puke Ariki? Leave us a comment.