Aorere Kindergarten took the opportunity to showcase our learning at the Auckland Botanic Gardens exhibition Eyes on Nature over term break. We created a visual installation of our Curious Minds Project investigating our local awa. We were proud to place second in our category.

The artwork titled Kaitiaki / Kai-awhina O te Puna represents our investigation into the habitats of our local stream, Waokauri Creek in Papatoetoe. This investigation has been funded by COMET Auckland and Auckland Council working collaboratively with us to make our fresh waterways clean and healthy.

This local stream runs at the back of our whānau houses. The fresh water from this stream starts from Kohuora Park and runs at the back of houses then under the motorway and through the airport, going into Manukau Harbour.

This creek is also very significant for mana whenua. It used to be a portage and was a route for waka to traverse between the harbours on either side of Tāmaki Makaurau.

Our tamariki have been investigating the creek and researching the kind of creatures live in it. Through our visits, and researching alongside a few scientists from the Whitebait Connection and Beautification Trust, we have found that our creek is moderately healthy for all the creatures of fresh water. We have found shortfin eel/ tuna and longfin eel/tuna which are taonga of Aotearoa.

We have investigated samples of fresh water and looked at different invertebrates such as freshwater shrimp, damselflies, freshwater worm and snails. We have also found mosquito fish which were introduced into our freshwater and have now become a pest.

This investigation has also led us to research the different types of waste that make our freshwater dirty and unhealthy. Solid waste in the form of rubbish and litter mostly end up on the surfaces of our fresh water. Some chemicals such as agricultural chemicals, oil and other industrial wastes ends up in our streams.

Our kindergarten whānau have done a clean up alongside their tamariki at Waokauri Creek and become kai-awhina (helpers) for the environment. This cleanup has also raised awareness in our community about the importance of disposing of waste correctly to help our freshwater creatures live and thrive in clean and heathy water.

Our artwork is showing this learning journey and we tried to use reusable material and/or compostable material.