As part of their practical investigation assessment the year 12 & 13 biology students at Northland College engaged in a Whitebait Connection programme with teacher Desiree Te Hiko and WBC Programme Coordinator Patricia Clark in term 3, 2022. The school had previously engaged in a programme in 2013.
As part of their investigation the students compared the physico-chemical properties and the communities of organisms found within an unshaded fenced agricultural stream and a shaded fenced agricultural stream. Northland College is the proud owner of a operational dairy farm and forestry block, which has been proudly utilised in the schools education programmes. The Taikawhena Stream which flows through this farm was used as the unshaded fenced stream site. The nearby Tokakopura Stream in Te Iringa was utilised as the shaded fenced site.
Students investigated water quality, biodiversity and threats at both sites and stark differents in physicochemical properties and communities were observed at both streams. Following the field trips the students created graphs and reports which summarised their findings in their investigation.
The greatest highlight for WBC coordinator, Patricia Clark was being able to deliver a programme to her old school and taking the students to her whanau property for the Tokakopura Stream site.
Measuring clarity at the Tokakopura Stream
For more information on Northland College's WBC programme email their WBC coordinator Patricia Clark on