Flooding | Auckland’s emergency: a lesson in geography

Auckland New Zealand floods …. Having spent several days hemmed in by a landslide, Professor John Morgan offers a ‘lesson plan’ for Auckland children returning to school to help them understand what’s going on in their city. “When Auckland schools go back, there’s a case to be made that geography teachers take over lessons for a day or two. Auckland’s ‘state of emergency’ – the floods and landslides that have affected the city and its region, and which will have...

International days for education & environment

Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development. The lack of access to education for girls, for example, is a very real issue which Malala is active in advocating for change to. The World Environmental Education Day is 26 January – is an opportunity to highlight the importance of education to achieving environmental sustainability....

Creature Feature | the weta

The weta is a New Zealand insect – endemic to that country which means “found nowhere else” – it’s as old as… the dinasours! Wētā have become icons for invertebrate conservation in New Zealand because many species are threatened or endangered. There are more than 100 species of wētā in New Zealand, 16 of which are at risk. There are five broad groups of wētā: Tree wētā Ground wētā Cave wētā Giant wētā Tusked wētā Diet: Wētā are mainly herbivorous...

Friday Fact | World’s Strongest Animal

The strongest animal on Earth is no doubt the… elephant, however the hippopotamus is commonly sited one of the most dangerous due to bite and its generally aggressive tendencies. The strongest land animal in the world is the elephant. The typical Asian elephant has 100,000 muscles and tendons arranged along the length of the trunk, enabling it to lift almost 800 pounds. The gorilla, the strongest as well as largest primate on the planet, is at least six times stronger...

Nature Organisation | Zealandia leads the way as a city wildlife sanctuary

  Imagine a lush forest, home to over 40 rare species of native wildlife. Discover Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne – an ecosanctuary in the heart of Wellington. ZEALANDIA is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. The 225 hectare (500+ acre) ecosanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area,...

Friday Fact | World’s smallest bird

The Bee Hummingbird, which is found only in Cuba ( it’s “endemic” ) , is an absolute miniature, even among hummingbirds. It measures a mere two and a quarter inches long. They weigh less than two grams — less than a dime. ” Sometimes mistaken for a bumblebee, females measure about 61 mm from beak to tail and weigh 2.6 g while the slightly smaller male has an average length of 55 mm and weighs 1.95 g. This is believed...

New Year’s Resolution | Finding Nature throughout the year

  In the new year, Children&Nature are resolving to make nature connection our everyday routine, inspired by the Nordic custom of “friluftsliv,” or “open-air life.” As described in our feature, friluftsliv is all about finding simple ways to delight in being outside, regardless of the weather or season. This could look like hiking in the woods, taking a dip in a lake — or simply bundling up in blankets to spend a moment outside enjoying the sunset. However you choose...

Soil is much more than dirt…

Soils underpin our ecosystems, our climate and human culture. Some of the biggest issues affecting our world and its inhabitants have soil at their heart. Healthy soil supports biodiversity: biodiverse soils can host millions of organisms in each teaspoon. Sustaining life in soil is essential to ensure soil health, which supports our ability to grow food and farm effectively. When managed well, soil can store significant amounts of rainfall, preventing flooding and dirty run-off which can affect the health and...

Learn From Nature
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.