The words kahikatea, rimu, totara, katote, and toatoa would have sounded like nothing more than gibberish or words from a Maori waiata before Joe Sheldon arrived to teach Terrestrial Ecology. Over the past 2 weeks, we've spent a lot of time out in the New Zealand bush taking a closer look at the flora and fauna that inhabit it. Early Monday morning we loaded up the vans and headed to the west coast for our big terrestrial adventure.
With the help of Joe and our forest savvy staff, the students were able to develop a lens to look at the forest more clearly. We learned about birds, trees, lichens, mosses, and more. From the pancake rocks at Punakaiki, to the Franz Josef Glacier and Rowi kiwis, to the enormous boulders of Castle Hill, we saw a number of the amazing sights that New Zealand's South Island has to offer!
Students kept a field notebook throughout the course detailing what they saw and learned about each day. This came in handy in order to study for the field identification exam. It was also an important tool when it came time to do research projects. Split into four groups, students chose various projects to complete over the course of two days while we stayed in Arthur's Pass. Projects ranged from bird surveying, epiphyte and understory growth comparisons between forests, and studying macroinvertebrates.
Everyone worked hard, but there was plenty of time for fun too! In Hokitika we were just in time to get free ice cream from the Tip Top ice cream delivery truck at New World. Long car rides created the perfect conditions to make silly music videos. We had a fun night of fondu and sleeping bag themed games to celebrate Mieke's birthday. And last, but not least, our visit to Castle Hill, the filming site of the final battle in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was the perfect time to recreate some classic scenes. Check it out!
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