Albany Senior High School
Background
Albany Senior High School is a state school with students aged from 14 to 18. The school has been on its current site since 2010. The land that the school sits on has been an educational facility for more than 100 years.
As part of the Albany Senior High School's curriculum the students undertake an impact project. These projects are designed for students to undertake real life experiential learning in a wide range of contexts. More information on impact projects can be found here - https://www.ashs.school.nz/impact-projects/ . This year we have a group of 12 students who are interested in acting as kaitiaki for our ngahere
Students will learn how to care for and restore the natural ecosystem. This will involve
- Rubbish removal
- Animal pest reduction
- Weed removal
- Fauna and flora identification
Site description
The ngahere at Albany Senior High School is approximately 2.4 hectares of mature and regenerating forest. There are several mature trees that are approximately 80-100 years old. Predominant species include kanuka, kahikatea, tanekaha, miro and kowhai. Several of these trees are in excess of 25 meters high. The majority of the tree species are native trees however there are some exotic species including black wattle and wooly nightshade.
The area is bordered on one side by the school building and school sports fields. One border is also a local apartment complex. The other boundary is the Oteha stream. The land is a mixture of flat land and undulating. There is a drop of around 20 metres from the highest point (near the tennis courts) to the lowest point (near the stream).
Parts of the land are relatively steep and this will be one of the hazards on the site. The banks of the stream are also quite steep and will be a hazard for tripping and falling into the stream. European wasps nests have also been found in this area and are also a health and safety risk.
The land is partly owned by the Ministry of Education and Auckland Council. Permission has been granted from both organisations to undertake conservation activities.
Tracking tunnels and chew cards were placed in the ngahere in April 2021. The results showed rats, hedgehogs and stoats in relatively high numbers. The ngahere is located in an urban area so domestic cats are also likely to be present.
The staff and students of Albany Senior High School are committed to acting as kaitiaki for our ngahere. This means that they will fund resources for the eradication of predators and also remove weeds from the area.