Mount Maunganui became a classroom for the day recently when 70 students from Mokoia School descended on it to take a hands-on look at the coastal habitat of the pohutukawa tree.
The Rotorua school is part of their DigiOps Forests of Life project, and plenty of sun, sand, sea, pohutukawas and proscopes ensured that the science day was as fun as it was educational.
Working alongside the students were the Forests of Life project partner, Ensis (formerly Forest and Research), whose scientists helped the teachers to develop a series of activities for the day.
“The day was a good opportunity for the kids to explore and get dirty as well,” says scientist Tim Barnard.
Held in picture-perfect conditions, the Year 8 students spent the morning at the base of the Mount working in groups. Each group had to establish the pohutukawa’s type of environment, how it had adapted to the environment, and the natural and human-made impacts that affect the tree’s survival.
Technology such digital cameras, laptops and proscopes were used to help students gather, record and analyse data. The proscopes, which are portable mini microscopes that digitise images back onto a laptop, allowed students to look at pohutukawa leaves and bark in detail.
“Proscopes take pictures and close ups of things. You get more than you expect with them,” says 12-year-old Elle.
Some of the unexpected things students discovered with the aid of a proscope were the pohutukawa’s complex leaf vein structure, and the rug-like nature of the leaf’s underside, which helps protect it. Bacteria on dead leaves looked like mini volcanoes, and vegetative bugs appeared as though they were from outer space.
Teacher Leonie Horton says technology such as proscopes gives another dimension to the learning by providing portability and immediacy, but more importantly for Leonie is the transferability of knowledge.
“They’re learning to look closely and see things they can do with other native species and vegetation back in school,” says Leonie.
Some students came away with a greater understanding and appreciation for the uniqueness, adaptability and tenacity of New Zealand’s Christmas tree.
“We have to appreciate what we’ve got. Nobody else has pohutukawa,” says 12-year-old Brian.
Elle agrees saying “It’s a kiwi tree. It should be treated how you’d treat someone. It’s a living thing that has grown, and it should be looked after.”
Data collected during the day will be added to the school’s online herbarium, and compared to the environment of inland native species which grow in Rotorua.
Some interesting pohutukawa facts* discovered by the students during the investigation include:
1. Pohutukawa are strongly phototropic trees – they grow towards the light, and shaded leaves do not survive long.
2. Each branch retains a system of buried vegetative buds. When required, these grow out into epicornic shoots. Hence young, upright branches can grow from a horizontal trunk.
3. Pohutukawas on cliffs can rotate over the edge as the earth beneath erodes away from wind and rain. The trees can develop new roots as large spreading branches come in contact with lower parts of a cliff.
4. The upper surface of a pohutukawa tree is waxy and protects against water loss
5. When held up to the light, scattered dots are visible which are oil glands. These oil glands probably discourage insects from eating the leaves and the growth of fungi that may damage the tree.
6. The leaves’ underside is covered in dense hair which protects the pores from the elements.
7. The bark’s grooved channels collects rainwater and funnels it straight to the root system
8. The flowering period of a pohutukawa is relatively brief, about two weeks for each tree
*Thanks to Ensis for their help with the facts.
