As part of their Year 7 camp, the boys carried out Mm2 surveys
It is no surprise to locals that the most visited national park in Aotearoa New Zealand is The Abel Tasman National Park. Renowned for its stunning golden beaches, forests, wildlife and crystal-clear waters, it is a great place to explore. At the end of 2024, Year 7 ākonga, plus kaiako and whānau from Nelson Boys Preparatory College set off for their annual camp into the park. While at Bark Bay Hut, the students had the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge they had gained during the year about the unique biodiversity and the importance the seashore has in linking the land to the sea. The boys made the most of the Marine Metre Squared (Mm2) equipment which is permanently based at Bark Bay Hut as part of the Abel Tasman Education Boxes.
A couple of weeks before camp the students participated in school-based New Zealand Marine Studies Centre workshops to help develop science skills that are useful for field work. Ākonga engaged in hands-on activities that introduced and reinforced scientific language, equipment to gather reliable data, skills for cooperative teamwork, safe and ethical practices for surveying and sampling in a coastal environment, observation and identification skills, how to measure and record reliable data. The skills gained are useful for any seashore monitoring project, e.g. Marine Metre Squared (Mm2) and are a good precursor to any field trip or camp.
