Waipahihi Gully Development Project 2021

Waipahihi Gully is currently getting a makeover! As part of a local subdivision development project above Waipahihi Gully, the developers have put a large sum of money into restoring and conserving native habitat in the local gully. This will not only improve local native biodiversity, but it will also improve the wellbeing of the community surrounding the gully.

Waipahihi Gully Site Visit

Early in 2021 our Kids Greening Taupō Environmental Education Coordinators met with the Waipahihi Gully development manager and other interested parties. At this meeting we discussed the importance of the gully and the areas of significance. For Waipahihi Primary School and Waipahihi Kindergarten this included areas used for bush school and kindergarten activities.

Gully Exploration

Waipahihi Primary School student leaders enjoyed getting out in the gully to explore and play. Sian observed how the student leaders moved through the gully and what areas were significant for them. The students talked about the diversity in interests at bush school, with students enjoying playing near the Gruffalo Cave, running up and rolling down hills, searching for bugs, identifying birds and plants, drawing, writing and playing in various ways.

Biodiversity Studies

Both Waipahihi Primary School and Waipahihi Kindergarten have been involved with biodiversity surveys on school sites and in the Waipahihi Gully over the past few years. These surveys include bug, bird, plant and pest counts using survey sheets, scavenger hunts and tracking tunnels.

Writing Letters

Waipahihi Primary School students mind mapped their kōrero about bush school activities, areas of importance and observations in the gully. They then wrote a letter to the Gully Development Manager and Wildland Consultants contractors.

Vision Plans

Students expressed the importance of getting everyone on board with the gully project. A part of this was making vision plans for the most important area of the gully- The Gruffalo Cave. This is where the Gruffalo lives in the gully (as seen below). Gruffalo footprints and resting spots are often sighted in the gully where the students like to play.

Marking out important parts of the gully for Wildlands contractors

Students from Waipahihi Primary School headed into the gully to tape logs, stumps, and trees to keep in the gully for their vision plans. These will later be used for bug hotels, hut building materials, natural tables and chairs for nature observation and logs for balancing in the gully.

Environmental Education

With regular bush kindergarten visits to the gully for Waipahihi Kindergarten and bush school visits for Waipahihi Primary School, lots of of natural student-led education opportunities arose. Waipahihi Kindergarten were lucky to find a dead possum in the gully one day which spurred on lots of conversations about pests and Predator Free 2050 at both education organisations.

A Collaborative Planting Effort

On the 17th August 2021, 100 students from Waipahihi Primary School, 10 students from Waipahihi Kindergarten, and contractors from Wildland Consultants came together in Waipahihi Gully for a collaborative planting day. Thanks to Wildland Consultants contractors who did the hard mahi preparing the gully for planting, the students were able to put over 800 plants in the ground!

Over the week 5000 plants were going to be planted into that section of the gully by Wildland Consultants, but due to the lockdown which came into place that evening, the contractors had to put their tools down until further notice.

Lockdown postponement

Unfortunately our planting scheduled for the 25th August 2021 with Te Kura O Waitahanui had to be postponed.

Over the lockdown our local community were guardians for the gully, watching over the plants and logs while on their daily bubble walks.

Post Lockdown

Wildland Contractors have gone above and beyond creating steps and a walkway up to the Gruffalo Cave, tables and chairs, log trails and stepping stumps for balancing, while leaving lots of sticks and logs for bug piles and hut building.

Nature play in Waipahihi Gully

Waipahihi Primary School students absolutely adore their new natural play areas of the gully! Here are some photos of the students building huts, balancing along logs and enjoying some of the constructed natural log seats.

Thank you for involving us in this large gully restoration project:

• Todd Land Development Consultants Ltd.

• Wildland Consultants

• John and Kellie Penny from Penny Homes

• Tauhara Management Ltd.