This is the final part of the LEARNZ virtual field trip to Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi | Bay of Plenty, one of the most geologically active areas in Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is shaped by fault lines, volcanoes, and the ever-shifting tectonic plates beneath our feet.

Join experts Craig Miller from Earth Sciences NZ and Daniel Pearce from Tauranga District Council answer some very interesting questions from ākonga, including whether it was a good idea to do a back flip in an earthquake! (spoiler alert - no! you should drop, cover, hold!)

Thanks to The Natural Hazards Commission – Toka Tū Ake for funding this LEARNZ virtual field trip. Visit learnz.org.nz/hazards254 for the full trip with educational materials including the field trip videos.

Te Wāhi Pounamu, meaning ‘the place of pounamu,’ refers to the South Island, the only place where this treasured stone is found. Pounamu is a taonga, holding deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for Māori.

Join field trip experts from Ngāti Waewae in Hokitika on Te Tai Poutini the West Coast as they answer questions with kaiārahi Andrew.

This is the web conference held on August 21st 2025, part of the LEARNZ online field trip. Thanks to the schools that participated.

You can visit the online field trip at https://www.learnz.org.nz/Sanctuary253

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (SMM) is the largest predator-fenced eco-sanctuary in the world. It enables visitors to experience a predator-free environment where native fauna and flora flourishes, and provides an insight into a time long past.

SMM is home to some of New Zealand's most endangered species, playing a pivotal role in their conservation. It is also home to a thriving kiwi population of about 3,000 birds and performs a major role in boosting other kiwi populations around the country.

Each year Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari undertakes the country's largest kiwi translocation project in partnership with mana whenua and Save the Kiwi.

Through its education programme, SMM actively engages students nationwide, offering a tangible glimpse into Aotearoa New Zealand’s past and the future vision of a predator-free environment.

On bilingual buses and trains (2) by

On bilingual buses and trains (1) by

Interview to accompany the LEARNZ field trip visiting some key places in the history of Raukawa and hearing narratives from iwi relating to these important historical locations and the epic journeys of the iwi tūpuna.

Keeping our places and stories alive is integral to our whakapapa and national identity. It also provides a way to understand our history, different generations and our diverse cultures, traditions, and communities.

On this virtual field trip we visited Ōtūmoetai Pā, Tauranga’s historic capital. It was the most significantly populated site in the Western Bay of Plenty between 1600–1865. The Pā was considered the ‘main stronghold’ of Tauranga Māori and was never taken by enemies. As it was situated on land confiscated by the government after the New Zealand Wars of 1864, the people who lived at Ōtūmoetai Pā were forced to leave their ancestral home.

In the webconference, kaiārahi Andrew is joined by Te Haana and Rachel from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga along with ākonga from Mangēre Central and Bucklands Beach Primary schools. A big mihi to you all.

The final He Waka Houkura mindset, ‘Seeing the system’, is all about viewing the big picture.

The fifth He Waka Houkura mindset, being open minded, is a mindset grounded in diversity and inclusion. In this podcast, Angela Vermeulen and Tumama Tu’ulua discuss how open mindedness ultimately asks the question of “what type of business do you want to be?".

In this, the fourth of the six He Waka Houkura mindsets, Angela Vermeulen and Tumama Tu’ulua kōrero about thinking critically. Tumama discusses how thinking critically is a vital part of developing an equity lens, recognising barriers, and how the more informed you are the better.