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Conservation in Aotearoa
Bushy Park · tracking tunnels and kaitiakitanga
Tracking tunnels · Bushy Park
What does it actually take to protect native species — and how do you know if it's working?
Living World · Ecology · Human impacts
Kiwi and other native taonga live behind a fence at Bushy Park — but stoats and rats do not stop at the gate. How do you know if protection is working?
Visit Bushy Park Tarapuruhi, a mainland island sanctuary near Whanganui. Monitor pests without harming animals, map what you find, and connect evidence to real kaitiakitanga — ongoing care, not one-time fixes.
First step
Set up tracking tunnels; record detections over multiple checks with fair protocols.
Expected outcome
Conservation claim with monitoring build and consequence reflection.
Local place context
Name the monitoring place and any predator-free or iwi partnership supporting your evidence.
What to do, in order
Your steps for this unit
Work through one step at a time. Your teacher releases the next step when the class is ready — the overview above is always available so you know where the unit is heading.
Step 1 of 7 available now
Warm-up quiz· Lesson 1
VentureYour stepLearn the problem· Lessons 1–2
VentureVisit Bushy Park· Lessons 3–4
ObserveLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Map your evidence· Lessons 5–6
ObserveLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Make your claim· Lessons 6–7
InferLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Build and present· Lessons 7–8
CreateLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
Look back and finish· Lessons 9–10
EvaluateLockedYour teacher will unlock this when the class finishes step 1.
How you think
VOICE across 8–10 lessons across one term (Term 3 anchor)
VOICE = thinking phases · Sequence above = what to do · Tabs = where materials live
Warm-up captures naive thinking (one idea per question). Look-back pairs Q1–8 for gain; Q9–10 from investigation. Non-harm monitoring only.
- Venture
Lessons 1–2
Predator problem, trap systems, protocol
Materials: Learn
- Observe
Lessons 3–5
Bushy Park visit, station data, mapping
Materials: Investigate
- Infer
Lessons 6–7
Patterns, comparative claim, uncertainty
Materials: Investigate · Portfolio
- Create
Lessons 7–8
Design brief, FORGE stations, presentation
Materials: Make
- Evaluate
Lessons 9–10
Consequence reflection, Trust presentation
Materials: Portfolio · Check understanding
- Year
- Year 7–8 combined
- Audience
- Bushy Park Tarapuruhi Trust · DOC community volunteers · Local pest-free group · School whānau
- Equipment
- Tracking tunnels and chew cards, Gumboots and field gear, GPS or map app, Species ID guides, Camera (optional)
Unit pages
Pick your next page
One page at a time — warm-up, reading, tasks, builds, and portfolio. Locked cards unlock when your teacher releases the next class step.
- 1Type & save
Warm-up quiz
Lesson 1, before we start. No marks — just your first thoughts.
Open page → - Locked
Background reading
Step 2 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Investigation tasks
Step 3 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Build something
Step 4 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Discussion questions
Step 5 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Your portfolio
Step 6 — follow your class sequence.
- Locked
Look-back quiz
Step 7 — follow your class sequence.
Unit materials
Open a tab when your teacher or the sequence above points you there — locked tabs unlock with each new step.
Formative only — no grades. Several post-check questions repeat the warm-up on purpose so you can show how your thinking grew. Your teacher uses the rubric for professional judgement, not a score.
Pre-check · Lesson 1 (before teaching)
Warm-up quiz — 15–20 minutes. No right or wrong answers.
Q1 ·
What native animals do you know live in NZ bush?
Q2 ·
What animals were brought to NZ that are not native?
Q3 ·
Why might a ground-nesting bird be in trouble if rats or stoats are around?
Q4 ·
How would you find out if pests visit a place at night without hurting them?
Q5 ·
What would make you think a patch of bush is healthy?
Q6 ·
If you checked the same spot every week, would you always see the same signs? Why or why not?
Q7 ·
Drawing a map of where you found signs vs writing a list — what is each good for?
Q8 ·
Who might care whether pests are present near a sanctuary?
Q9 ·
What do you want to find out about conservation near you?
Q10 ·
How confident are you about conservation right now? What is one thing you think you know? What is one thing you are unsure about?
AI mentor (inside your investigation)
Support appears in your investigation workspace — gentle prompts about your context, data, and analysis. Your teacher can turn assistance off for unassisted checkpoints.
Three ways to engage with this topic
They share a theme but serve different purposes — your class unit is structured and teacher-guided; community platforms are open; class insights are patterns from other school groups.
Your class inquiry world
Teacher-guided VOICE sequence, portfolio artefacts, datasets, and step-by-step release — consent-gated for your cohort.
Open school unit →Class insights from other groups
Anonymised patterns from school investigations on this topic — ideas to test in your dataset, not answers to copy.
Browse insights hub →Ten STEM inquiry worlds with dual angles: scientific investigation and makerspace builds on the same curriculum context.