Hawke's Bay

Environmental Education Facility

Here at Hawkes Bay Fish & Game we are developing an exciting facility where our Tamariki can come and get hands on experiences and learn about their environment in a fun & safe atmosphere. Our program is flexible and suitable for year 2 to year 10 students.

The Game Farm is set on 4 acres, with 2 large lakes primarily stocked with Trout and Eels (Tuna). Plantings of native trees, shrubs & wetlands around the grounds enhance the natural beauty of the space and provide habitat for many species.

Educational Opportunities

Hosted Class Field Trip

Our staff will host your group and can run a selection of these activities. Some teacher input will be required for larger groups

A typical visit will consist of a quick welcome, introduction to the site & staff, and a health & safety briefing. Students are split into 3 groups for 3 activities. Activities run for 30-40 minutes. Groups will then rotate to the second activity. A lunch break of 30 minutes and then the third rotation. Students then come back together for a chat & farewell.

Group 1

Water Testing

Explore the small inhabitants of the water and learn about the importance of clean healthy water and the impacts on the food chain.

Eel Feeding
Always the kid’s favourite activity. See the eels up close as they get a feed and learn more about these fascinating creatures.

Group 2

Planting & Plant Recovery
Our grounds are still under development and students have the opportunity to shape the future of this facility by helping to plant native wetlands & bush areas. There are also areas where planting are self-seeding mean we can harvest plants for our nursery, which can then be grown on and transplanted back into the grounds or sent out to HB farms that are regenerating wetlands and native bush.
This activity is subject to weather and seasonal conditions.

Scavenger Hunt/Orienteering
Scavenger Hunt: Students are given a sheet and sent off to find the plants and images of the animals that are hiding around the limestone path of the ponds. Suitable year 2-6
Orienteering: Students are given a map of the facility & have to find the named native trees. Map encompasses a large area of the facility. Suitable year 5-9 students.

Group 3 Choose between Building or Fishing

Building Workshops
Napier Menzshed are kindly offering their expertise, knowledge & materials to run building workshops where kids can build bird houses from kitsets. Some will be used in the grounds here and some can also be taken back to school to be placed around school grounds to encourage more biodiversity. Suitable for year 3 – year 9 students.

Fishing
Get hands on, learning how to catch a fish and the importance of gathering food. We’ll cover the basics of fishing, how to set up a rod and cast and reel in a fish.

Group Bookings

We can take bookings from 20-50 children per session. This program is run from 10am-2pm or can be adjusted to suit your needs. We are happy to give you a tour of the facilities and discuss your needs.

We take the safety of the students very seriously and our site is one that does pose multiple hazards, especially with the water and large open spaces that have yet to be developed. Schools are responsible for providing adequate supervision for students to ensure they follow the health and safety advise they are given at the start of the visit. In the case of wet weather staff reserve the right to cancel or postpone the visit.

This Outdoor Education program is subsidised by Hawke’s Bay Fish & Game but there is a small charge of $10/student to help cover costs.

Independent Class Field Trip

Schools are welcome to use the Game Farm facilities free of charge.

Bring students along to our facility for hands-on learning around environmental, ecological or inquiry studies where you can tailor lessons to suit your needs.

We can provide the activities listed above for teachers to run with students and fishing gear is available to those who wish to do fishing, but a valid Fishing licence is necessary for the teacher.

A large meeting room is also available for classes to use.

Hawkes Bay Fish & Game Council
22a Burness Road
Jervoistown
hawkesbay@fishandgame.org.nz
06 8442460