At Beststart Roydavle our tamariki have been embeding different ways to be Kaitiakitanga - a Māori term that means guardianship and protection of the environment.
On this occasion we had a very special visit from Project Jonah, an organisation dedicated to the protection and rescue of whales and dolphins around Aotearoa.
Their mission is to help people learn how to care for marine life, especially during whale strandings, and to inspire others to protect our ocean and its incredible creatures. We spent the morning learning all about different types of whales and just how huge they can be!
A few tamariki helped hold the tape measure to show everyone their lengths — one even stretched from inside the classroom all the way out onto the deck! The children were amazed to see just how enormous these gentle giants really are. Our visiting educator, Jenni, shared so many fascinating facts about whales, and the tamariki sat engaged, listening carefully and asking lots of thoughtful questions. Jenni then played a recording of whale songs — the beautiful sounds that whales use to communicate with one another underwater. The children sat quietly, completely absorbed by the deep calls.
After that, it was time for an exciting hands-on experience — saving Harikoa the whale! Buckets and pots were quickly filled from the water trough as the tamariki worked together to keep Harikoa wet and comfortable. It was heartwarming to see everyone helping each other — sharing buckets, reminding friends to be gentle, and checking which parts of Harikoa still needed water.
The children were completely immersed in the experience and didn’t want it to end. It was a wonderful day of learning, teamwork, and care — showing our tamariki what it means to look after the amazing creatures that share our planet.