Kapiti Island and Kapiti Marine Reserve field trips

Kapiti is one of New Zealand’s most valuable nature reserves, and it is the only large island sanctuary for birds between the Hauraki Gulf in the north and New Zealand’s southern outlying islands.

Kapiti Marine Reserve is 30 kilometres from Wellington city and is located between Paraparaumu and Waikanae beaches and Kapiti Island. To visit you will need a landing permit, a launch booking, and transport to and from the Kapiti Boating Club, Paraparaumu Beach.

View the resource

Primary

• Cover (PDF, 115K)
• Introduction (PDF, 1241K)
• Threatened species (PDF, 668K)
• Introduced pests (PDF, 1643K)
• Marine reserves (PDF, 642K)
• Kapiti – a changing resource (PDF, 619K)
• Conservation management (PDF, 255K)
• Resource checklist (PDF, 44K)

Secondary

• Cover (PDF, 116K)
• Introduction (PDF, 1228K)
• Threatened species (PDF, 648K)
• Introduced pests (PDF, 1643K)
• Marine reserves (PDF, 646K)
• Kapiti - a changing resource (PDF, 638K)
• Kapiti issues (PDF, 258K)

Species cards

Bats and invertebrates

• Short-tailed bat/pekapeka (PDF, 229K)
• Giraffe weevil/tūwhaipapa (PDF, 231K)
• Vegetable caterpillar/āwhato (PDF, 139K)
• Ground wētā (PDF, 282K)
• Püriri moth/pepetuna (PDF, 318K)
• Red admiral butterfly/kahukura (PDF, 224K)
• Peripatus/walking worm/velvet worm/ngakeupe (PDF, 203K)

Birds

• Takahe (PDF, 175K)
• Weka (PDF, 192K)
• Hihi/stitchbird (PDF, 481K)
• Kākā (PDF, 315K)
• Little spotted kiwi/kiwi pukupuku (PDF, 266K)
• Tïeke/North Island saddleback (PDF, 367K)
• Tūī (PDF, 245K)
• North Island robin/toutouwai (PDF, 209K)
• Little blue penguin/kororā (PDF, 270K)
• Variable oystercatcher/tōrea pango (PDF, 213K)

Marine

• Native kelp/rimurapa (PDF, 174K)
• Pāua (PDF, 214K)
• Kina/sea urchin (PDF, 189K)
• Kōura/rock lobster/crayfish (PDF, 187K)
• Butterfish/mararī (PDF, 119K)
• Blue cod/rāwaru/pākirikiri (PDF, 185K)
• Kingfish/haku (PDF, 123K)

Plants

• Large-leaved milk tree/tōwai (PDF, 198K)
• Kohekohe (PDF, 243K)
• Northern rātā (PDF, 351K)
• Pūriri (PDF, 157K)
• Nīkau (PDF, 276K)
• Harakeke/flax (PDF 358K)
• Miro (PDF, 305K)
• Ongaonga/tree nettle (PDF, 208K)
• Tupeia/white mistletoe (PDF, 301K)

About the resource

This resource has been developed to assist teachers in providing an exciting and interesting outdoor learning experience at Kapiti Island. A range of activities are suggested for students stimulating active learning based on what they encounter during their visit.

Visiting Kapiti Island and Kapiti Marine Reserve is an opportunity for your students to experience a remote natural area. During your visit you may see threatened species, study a marine protected area and hear about strange New Zealand plants and animals like the bat that walks with its wings or a fungus that eats caterpillars alive. And the island is steeped in history; it has been home to Maori, whalers, farmers and conservationists for over 1,000 years.

Get health and safety and pre-planning information, curriculum links, learning outcomes and teacher pre-visit, on site and post-visit lesson plans.

Learning areas

• Science
• Social sciences
• Health and PE

Learning outcomes 

Primary level: This is a very large unit, divided into 5 parts (themes), each part with its own identified learning outcomes. Students will investigate:

• threatened species
• introduced pests
• marine reserves
• conservation management.

Secondary level: Students will:

• investigate food chains and webs in an Island setting
• plan an outdoor experience
• gain knowledge about Island restoration and Pest eradication.

Links to curriculum 

• Science: Living World: Ecology/ Evolution
• Investigating about Science/ Participating and contributing/ Understanding about Science
• Social Studies
• Health & PE

Topics

• Marine and coastal
• Native plants
• Native animals
• Offshore island

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