At EOS Ecology, we are committed to helping communities understand the health of their local awa and learn how they can contribute to its wellbeing. We offer a range of engagement programmes tailored to different age groups and interests. Whether your aim is to strengthen your community’s connection to the awa or explore scientific methods for monitoring its condition, we have something for everyone.
Our team specialises in delivering complex scientific concepts in an accessible way, ensuring participants of all levels—from early childhood education to secondary school and adults—can engage with confidence. We provide friendly, approachable, and articulate instruction across various settings, supported by well-crafted resources.
We understand that your time is valuable, so our Engagement team will handle all communication and organisation, providing clear information on what is required from you. This ensures that you can focus on enjoying and learning at the awa.
Nature Agents – Ngā Kaitaunaka Taiao: a place-based science education programmeMinistry of Education & EOS Ecology
Our ‘Nature Agents – Ngā Kaitaunaki Taiao’ programme, funded by the Ministry of Education, transforms local streams into interactive science classrooms for students across Waitaha/Canterbury. Developed in its entirety by EOS Ecology, the programme engages students in hands-on investigations to collect and analyse environmental data, fostering a deep understanding of their freshwater ecosystems. Through a long-term programme that engages students throughout their learning journey, students become familiar with scientific sampling techniques, data interpretation, and conservation practices. The programme also features an innovative GIS component where students enter their findings into an ArcGIS Online platform, allowing them to explore and compare data collected by different schools across the region. This means our specially developed modules for different age groups/school-year levels (years 1–3, 4–8, and 9+) support the science, technology and maths components of the STEAM teaching curriculum.
Since its inception, ‘Nature Agents’ has exceeded KPIs, reaching over 2,700 students and 45 schools in the first six years of its implementation, and garnered high praise for its impact on environmental education. The programme’s GIS component won the NZ Storytelling with Maps competition at the 2019 ESRI User Group Conference, highlighting EOS Ecology’s commitment to making science accessible, engaging and relevant. This programme not only builds scientific literacy among young people but also encourages stewardship of natural resources, providing schools with a sustainable model for environmental education.
If you’re interested in participating, contact Jess Halsey, our Engagement Services Manager.
Inspiring Young Īnanga Guardians: the Environment Investigators ProgrammeWhitebait Connection Canterbury
Our ‘Environment Investigators – Ngā Kahōpara Taiao’ programme has reached over 2,500 students, fostering their understanding of whitebait lifecycles, habitats and threats through immersive, hands-on learning. The programme provides hands-on experiences for kids and increases their connection, knowledge and awareness of local freshwater environments – enabling them to participate in real-world science and conservation. From classroom sessions where we help students explore the world of īnanga and play interactive games, to field excursions where we help them assess river habitats for spawning suitability, the programme offers a rich tapestry of experiences. Underpinned by the National Īnanga Spawning Education Programme (NISP) that we also developed, our Environment Investigators programme integrates NISP resources throughout its delivery, reinforcing the foundational principles of īnanga conservation in an engaging, age-appropriate format.
With special permits for the capture and temporary housing of fish, during the second phase of the programme, our science and engagement teams also provide schools with a classroom aquarium filled with whitebait collected from their local awa. Along with comprehensive guidance and resources on how to care for their whitebait, we empower students to nurture īnanga directly, fostering a sense of responsibility as they act as kaitiaki (guardians) for these native fish. We then coordinate an ‘Īnanga Celebration Day,’ where all participating schools come together to release the whitebait back into the river, concluding the day with a variety of engaging, īnanga-related activities.
The programme culminates in impactful action projects, with students sharing their learnings and ideas with their communities or even petitioning local authorities to improve conditions in the ‘love zone’ – our name for the area of the river where īnanga spawn. Recognised as a finalist in both the 2017 NZ River Awards and DOC Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board Awards, Environment Investigators continues to inspire young advocates, with the support of the NISP resources, to champion the health of Aotearoa New Zealand’s waterways.
If you’re interested in participating, contact Jessica Halsey, our Engagement Services Manager.
