Grow your own mini forest!
This is a great activity from Kiwi Conservation Club and is popular with ākonga of all ages. The KCC resources and activities have recently been moved to a new area hosted on the Forest and Bird website, so we can't link direclty to this activity.
Instructions to find the resource: Click on the website link above, then scroll down to 'Backyard Activities' then scroll down the list of resources to 'Grow a leaf litter garden'. You can then download or print the PDF.
About the resource:
The forest floor is covered in dead leaves, known as leaf litter, that rot down to help make soil. Leaves from the plants in the bush are always falling and making new layers of leaf litter. This leaf litter builds up over time and catches seeds and helps the seeds germinate from the trees above.
It’s best to start this investigation during July or August, when the floor of the ngahere is wet, but you could try it anytime. Be patient - it can take awhile for some seeds to start growing!
An alternative to using plastic lunch wrap (as suggested) is to cut open clear bread bags or other plastic bags, which can be used more than once.
