The bags were packed and the excitement was building as the Year 6 and 7 students headed off to Staveley last week for two nights at Kakariki Camps. There were a variety of outdoor activities over the three days. Students carried out a stream study, catching, categorising and identifying the bugs and insects that live in the local stream. Zak was very excited to catch a small Kōkopu fish that became fondly known as Jerry for the rest of our stay.

A highlight for the group was to be part of the rejuvenation project for the Staveley forest, cutting back the cotoneaster weed that grows there and creating a hut with the branches.

 The beech forest offered so many neat experiences and activities. It was cool to hang out in the hammocks in the middle of the forest listening to the birds and trying to spot them with the binoculars.

A new activity for the camp was a Council of All Beings where it challenged students to reflect on what life would be like for other living creatures and what we could do as humans to help them. The mask making art component of this task was a big hit.

During our downtime (if the students could get the bow and arrows off the parents) Archery was a very popular option. We also enjoyed lots of fun games in the evening including spotlight on the last night. We even braved the cold stream on the first night and enjoyed a dip before tea to cool off.

A big thanks to John Quinn, Dalius Mardasas and Pete McDonald for all your help on camp.