The Journey Home and Beyond

Our kiwisforthesummer2018 Iwi

 Kia Ora.  Having been immersed in Kiwi and Maori culture for the past five weeks will now make the journey back to American culture another adventure.  Our students will take with them lasting memories of the challenges and opportunities of what not only New Zealand faces, but what the rest of the world faces as well. Preserving biological diversity, conserving resources, and maintaining a balance between natural and human built environments are key to a sustainable future.  And, it will take all of us with our diverse backgrounds to come together in many different ways to help make lasting change for a bright future.

Dear students, we hope that what you have experienced with us in New Zealand will help shape the decisions you make for our future in exciting and positive ways.  We thank you for giving of yourselves openly with your hearts and minds so that our time together could be such a special learning opportunity for us all.  We have really enjoyed being with all of you, touring the wop-wops, and sharing a daily cuppa. Sweet As!

From the land of the long white cloud, safe and happy travels!  See you in the land of the flowers (La Florida).  

With a Hongi and hug to each of you, Mark, Meryl, Jámm, and Tupelo

They are on their way

Saying goodby to a Lincoln Uni friend outside of the Annex where everyone was housed for the summer.

kiwisforthesummer2018 with the Gatorwaka

At the airport before going through security

Slight snafu with first flight from Christchurch to Auckland being cancelled, but we had a very sweet Air New Zealand booking agent help Dr. Hostetler set things right, and had a yummy last tea time at the airport.  Have reports that our students arrived safely in Auckland and are on their way back to the States.  A few are staying on in NZ to do a bit more exploring and one is off to Australia!

We miss you all already and wish you safe travels home. m&m

Gone With the Wind... Almost.

Our amazing luck with weather has held, today dawned bright and clear as we prepared for another day of lectures and light hiking. Our lectures today consisted of an overview of the invasive animal species in New Zealand and solutions to that problem.

Pablo Garcia Diaz elucidated us on the many difficulties that New Zealand has faced in its quest to reclaim the island from the exotic invasive species that have grown out of control, like brushtail possums, stoats, and the rat. Later, Will Allen explained the different communication techniques that are required to create successful and long-lasting partnerships for sustainability and conservation. He often stressed that the most successful method of improvement for a project or team was constant self-evaluation; you have to understand why something worked or didn't work so that you can continue successes but avoid repeating mistakes.

As a final exercise he had us create rubrics for our course so we may evaluate what we liked/disliked, and what was successful/needs improvement. By the end of the course they'll be filled out with notes on what can be improved, so look out Dr. Hostetler!

As the lecturing half of our day drew to a close, we stopped at Coffee Culture for our morning teatime, then headed to the Ahoriri Scenic Reserve for a light hike to the top of a bluff.

It was a gorgeous hike full of native flora, like five finger (in Maori whauwhaupaku), and tussock grass. While we walked, the bellbirds (korimako) serenaded us and the curious fantails (piwakawaka) swooped in for a closer look. The view from the top of the bluff was well worth the hike, even if the wind threatened to blow us off the edge...

don't worry we were told to not go anywhere near the drop off.

After hiking back down to the Gatorwaka we drove to Governor's Bay to look for a royal spoonbill, rather like our roseate spoonbill, just white. Unfortunately it was still too high a tide to find it wading in the bay, but we enjoyed the view of the tide receding from She Universe, our afternoon tea time spot.

As we left Canterbury behind we caught a white flash in the bay that could have been the spoonbill, but we may never know. - Corinne

Fun in Christchurch

After breakfast and a short drive into the city, our day began with a tour of Hagley Park’s Botanic Garden led by our dear friend, Dr. Colin Meurk. The garden was part of Christchurch's initial 1850 plans and its construction was modeled after typical English structure. It was born from the 19^th century movement to create green spaces for communities in England and the United States, who recognized the benefit of having happy, healthy workers.

Cuningham House Conservatory

While the garden featured plants from all around the world, those native to New Zealand are tucked away into the back corner – a metaphor Dr. Meurk used to highlight the general mindset when it comes to plants used across the nation’s landscape. However, because non-native plants brought to the island were free from natural predators and other controls, they’ve been able to thrive and we were treated with colorful flowers, concerning cacti, and towering redwoods.

Garrick House cactus collection

Group picture with a California Redwood

Our visit was followed by a quick lunch break at Robert Harris Café and we were off to the Canterbury Museum where we learned about Maori history, Antarctic expeditions, and Moas, the giant, flightless birds that roamed New Zealand until roughly 500 years ago.

Devin (right) and a Moa skeleton

We explored a few nearby shops and finally wrapped up the day at the Christchurch Art Gallery (Te Puna o Waiwhetu). The place had it all, from realist paintings and abstract sculptures to a 45-minute video of a man playing with butter, but we were still pleased to leave a little bit of art of our own.

Igloo made with children’s magnets - Cole

First Road Trip...

Destination: Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula.

Birdlings Flat

Semi-precious stones among the grey river stone

First up, looking for agate, and semi precious rocks like jasper, at Birdlings Flat (a beach just between Lake Ellesmere and the Pacific Ocean that is nothing BUT rocks). Then tea time at Little River to warm up after a fine but frosty morning.

A view from the Hilltop

Up a curvy hill to a spectacular view (albeit a little low cloud) out across Barry's Bay and Robinson's Bay to Akaroa.

Swift Crane on Lava Rock

Crab

anemone

We stopped next at Onawe Pa Historic Reserve for lunch with beautiful views of the bays and lava rocks.  Of course we had to take a little time to explore and check out the little chitin, limpet, snails, sea anemone, and fiddler crabs.

A Tui in midsong

View of Akaroa Harbor

Dr. H attempts to tell us about the Tui after a very loud fire station siren went off in the park where we were gathered 

In the afternoon we went out in Akaroa in search of Tuis.  Tuis were no longer found on the Banks Peninsula after 1980s because of habitat loss.  They were reintroduced in the last few years into Hinewai Preserve, and much to the delight of locals, have established themselves.  We were so lucky to see many after just a few minutes of looking for them!

By the Harbor in Akaroa

There rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying the views of Akaroa, snooping around in the shops, and getting settled in to the backpackers.

Tomorrow, we get to go to Hinewai!

Sweet Dreams Everyone, Meryl : )

A farm, a wetland and a beach all in one day!

July 4, 2018

We started out the day by meeting up with a local couple, Pauline and Malcome (and their five cows), at their home just a short drive away form LU. As we pulled in, Dr. Hostetler explained that students visit the couple every year to learn about their native hedgerows and choices of other native plants in their 15-acre yard. Malcome gave us a tour of the area and explained to us that they made the decision to plant natives to make life easier, as they don't have to be trimmed as frequently as the exotic hedgerows that many others have. He also told us that just recently their neighbor decided to do the same!

Malcome showing Maddie the old mailbox he's converted into a birdfeeder for silvereye birds

Native hedgerow on the left (one way to tell it's native is that it's still green in the winter)

Once we got back to the house, the couple welcomed us in for tea time and shared with us photo albums of their yard transformation and shared stories of life in Lincoln. We all really enjoyed their company, warm wood burning stove and stories.

After saying goodbye, we headed to Travis Wetland where we learned to perform a bird transect. We saw plenty of pukekos, grey ducks, paradise shelducks, and for the first time we were able to identify fantails and silvereyes in the back part of the wetland. Dr. Hostetler also taught us how to identify the difference between a manuka and a kanuka tree--when you run a kanuka (kind) tree, it doesn't feel rough like a manuka (mean).

Rub test

Corinne, Emily and Dr. Hostetler performing a bird transect

Travis Wetlands

Group shot!

After the wetland, we had tea time and then headed to New Brighton Beach ("New" after Brighton Beach in England) where we enjoyed a little time by the water!

-Caroline

Safe And Sound!

Our kiwisforthesummer2018 class has arrived safe and sound to a beautiful (relatively warm 55 degree and sunny) day.  We are getting settled into the dorms, getting some lunch, and will be out hiking this afternoon.  More pictures to come later. m : )

Almost Time!

Hi All!  Excited that it is almost time to go to New Zealand for our Summer/Winter adventures!  Happy packing!  Here is our kiwisforthesummer2018 class...