At BestStart Kelvin Grove, our tamariki connected with Waitī, the Matariki star that watches over all freshwaters and the life they sustain by going on a van excursion to visit our local eels.
It was a long walk over the He Ara Kotahi pathway all the way to the eels, where we fed them, although the cheeky rakiraki kept stealing their kai.
Lots of language, observation and making connections! As we walked, we found a big pou, with a wheke (octopus) in the centre. This generated more chat about how wheke like the salty sea water that the star Waita watches over but our eels like the fresh water that Waitī watches over.
For Rangitāne (our local iwi), tuna are more than just a part of the natural environment; they hold deep cultural significance. These eels are an important taonga (treasure), symbolising the health and vitality of our Manawatū awa. We had so much fun gathering fallen pine needles which we thought we could use as paintbrushes, saying "Mooooooo" to the cows we shared the pathway with and spotting diggers on the other side of the river - busy at work!
As we walked, we noticed how "windy" it was - another connection to the Matariki star - Ururangi who is linked to the wind. Snack time was also a hit with a packed morning tea to refill our puku for the walk back to the van.
Making connections to places and things in our local community is so important to us at Kelvin Grove, providing meaningful learning opportunities and acknowledging our place in our wider world!