Thursday 26th February - Sign installation
Today a group of children visited Northbrook Waters to watch the installation of the eel sign we helped create. We observed the process as holes were dug, water and cement were poured to secure the posts, and a large yellow level was carefully used to make sure the sign stood perfectly straight. The children were especially excited to take part themselves, using rubber mallets to tap in stakes around the newly planted ground cover. Once these plants establish and grow, they will create a lush, welcoming space for children to sit when we visit the area and observe the eels. This moment marks the culmination of a very special journey.
November/ December 2025
Over the last few weeks our children have been working alongside local artist and Teddy's dad Greg Anderson to create a sculpture for the sign that other children in the community can touch to get an understanding of what an eel looks and feels like. They chose to work with driftwood, selecting a piece for an adult eel and then some smaller pieces for baby eels. Greg worked with the children to sand, shape and paint the art work over a few weeks. They added a long fin just like the eels have that we find in Northbrook Waters.
Monday 14th October – Sign Collaboration
Today, our small group of creative designers went on an exciting excursion to share their detailed drawings of the Northbrook Wetlands eels and their environment with Sam, the graphic designer at the Waimakariri District Council. Sam asked the children many thoughtful questions about their artwork and what important information should be included on the sign we are creating together. The tamariki shared their ideas, focusing on the life cycle of the longfin eel and ways people can help or harm them — such as avoiding swimming in the stream and feeding them meat instead of bread. We were also very lucky to have one of the Peppertree Dads Greg Anderson, a local artist, offer to sculpt an eel for the sign! The group discussed adding a QR code that the community can scan to view photos, excursions, and the amazing work the children have been doing at the wetlands. Watch this space — exciting things are happening!
Monday 6th Oct - Certificate of appreciation
Today we were honoured to receive a special appreciation certificate as part of the Waimakariri Environmental Awards 2025 from Richard at Rakahuri River Care.
This award recognises the incredible mahi our tamariki have been doing in the community — from helping with the planting project at Northbrook Waters alongside the Waimakariri District Council after the big storm, to taking part in the community event welcoming the birds back to our beautiful braided Rakahuri River following migration, and most recently, our learning experiences down at the river itself.
We were so grateful to be acknowledged for our efforts. The children proudly shared their knowledge with Richard about the eels at Northbrook Waters, the birds and their predators at the Rakahuri, and their growing understanding of our local environment.
As I listened to them speak, I couldn’t have been prouder — not only of their knowledge, but of their enthusiasm, sense of responsibility, and deep connection as kaitiaki of our environment and our wonderful community.
Friday 8th August - Eeling with the net
As it has been harder to feed the eels since the trees have fallen we purchased a net to catch the eels so we could continue to observe the eels in their natural environment. Last night, Kaiako Emma and Megan set the eel trap and today we walked down to Northbrook Waters to see if there was anything inside. We excitedly watched as Kaiako Emma retrieved the net and tipped a baby eel onto the stream bank. We watched as it slithered it’s way back down the bank into the stream. As we observed we had a kōrero about the characteristics of the long fin eel such as it’s dorsal fin that covers two-thirds of its total length which helps it swim and that it is a carnivore and eats insects, small fish and worms, although we feed it meat such as luncheon from our feeding sticks.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1637593763863223&rdid=QsC1XfYYqlKrfk1s
24th June 25 – Enviro canterbury story
10th June 2025 – planting day
What a wonderful learning adventure our children enjoyed today at Northbrook Wetlands, Waimakariri District Council, and Enviroschools. Our day began by exploring the fascinating world of tiny invertebrates living at the bottom of Northbrook Waters. The children learned how to carefully catch and observe these small creatures—an exciting skill we’ll be able to try ourselves next time we visit! Next, we discovered some of the small fish living in the stream, known as bullies. We were shown the special net used to catch them and learned an important fact: when placing a net in the water, we must leave a small gap at the top so the bullies can breathe, using their gills to take in oxygen from the water. Kate, from WDC, sparked a fun discussion by asking what creatures might eat the bullies. There were some imaginative suggestions like great white sharks and crocodiles, before Max confidently shared a more local predator—eels! This led perfectly into our next discovery—a longfin eel that had been safely caught overnight for us to observe. We looked at the special net used to catch it and learned more about this fascinating native species. We then moved to the planting area, where Mike explained the different native plants we would be helping to restore to the area. He talked about how tall they might grow, what their flowers would look like, and even the scents they give off. After demonstrating how to plant—digging a hole, gently removing the plant from its container, placing it into the soil, and tucking it in with a protective cloth—we all got to work. The children thoroughly enjoyed this hands-on opportunity to care for the environment. Our experience ended with a special moment: we all gathered to watch the longfin eel be gently released back into the stream. What an inspiring day filled with nature, learning, and connection!
27th May 2025 - Pre-planting check, weeds check
Some of you may remember that back in August last year, a severe storm brought down the trees in the area where we used to go and feed the eels. After visiting the site a few times, it became clear that without the shade and protection provided by the trees, the eels could no longer survive in that part of the stream. In November, we wrote a letter to the Waimakariri District Council asking if we could help replant the area. Fast forward six months, and we’re excited to share that we’ll be working alongside the council to restore this special space. Together, we’ll be creating an outdoor classroom in our community where we can once again feed the eels, watch birds, and learn about native plants, ecosystems, and how to care for our environment. Today, a small group of children visited the site, which has now been weed-sprayed in preparation for planting in a few weeks. We noticed how the weeds are starting to change colour—a sign that things are happening! Watch this space as we continue to learn about the different plants we’ll be putting in and how each one will play a role in restoring the Northbrook Wetlands.
Tuesday 5th Nov - Letter to Waimakariri District Council
Kia Ora whānau We had a super busy Tuesday today with so many of our friends all in at once! This provides us more opportunities to head out and about and today we headed down to the council to deliver a letter about replanting the trees fallen during the storm in August. Rosella was an absolute superstar as she spoke to Ed about what happened and how we want to be part of replanting. Ed set us up with Kate and Bec who showed us different insects, gave us pamphlets and took us on a tour outside to see some trees we could plant. They are going to come and visit us at Peppertree as we look at a joint replanting project. We spent our day learning more about eels, colouring eels, watching a video about eels, and we set up our own river in the sandpit to consolidate what we learnt.
29th Oct 2024 – Storm damage video from Finn
Today we received a video from a family who lives in Springbrook Close which backs onto Northbrook Waters in regard to the damage done in the storm recently. After watching the video we talked about the importance of trees growing alongside the stream for the eels.
*The tree roots help stabilise the bank of the stream preventing erosion
*Leaves and organic matter from the trees are food for insects which are a key part of the eels diet
*Shade from the trees protect the eels from the sun and regulates the water temperature
*Tree roots provide a space for young eels to hide from predators.
I then asked the children what we could do......... They suggested:
Alaric: Protect the trees, water the trees
Torvi: Plant them. And water them But they need a trunk to hold it.
Arlo: Tree seeds, plant some more.
Alaric: When it's a day with sun we can go for a walk but first we need to go to the shop with a teacher and get some seeds. We can check on them and they will be a bit big.
Arlo: We will need a shovel and dig a hole and plant a seed in it.
I explained that planting new trees was a fantastic idea however the land didn't belong to Peppertree and Little Peppertree even though we are kaitiaki of Northbrook Water it is owned by the Waimakariri Council. I asked the children what we should do............
Gwen: Ask the council, give them money so we can plant more trees.
Elijah: Ask them pretty please can we plant some trees
Torvi: Go and ask someone who works at the council.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1232948355701424
1st march 2023- Eeling before the storm
Our Tamariki have enjoyed excursions to Northbrook Waters to feed the eels for many years. Although it is tricky to see them in the water they swim up and nibble on the meat on our home made feeding sticks and we can observe them closely. We have feeding sticks and maps that our whānau can borrow to feed eels with their family in the weekend or days off from Peppertree and Little Peppertree.
