Year 9 and 10 students from Wairākei Commons ventured out on foot at the end of March to our local Wairākei Reserve to learn about harakeke.

Our Commons draws its name from this Reserve, and it holds cultural and ecological significance for our community. 

Students learned the tikanga around harvesting harakeke, the traditional Māori uses for different parts of the plant, the history of the flax trade, and the science of the plant's anatomy and reproduction. 

They also managed to strip harakeke leaves using shells to reveal rope fibres, as well as weave several ornaments to be gifted away. 

Students enjoyed being out in the bright sun among nature and found it to be an engaging way to conduct their learning