We pride ourselves on our ability to create programmes that are not only effective but engaging. Our Science and Science Interpretation teams will co-design with you and your stakeholders, ensuring each programme is relevant, accessible, and effective in achieving your goals. Whether you’re aiming to involve local schoolchildren in environmental monitoring, or working with adult community groups to improve their scientific literacy and help participate in Community-based Monitoring (CBM) programmes – we develop solutions to fit your needs.
Investing in a well-designed and delivered public engagement programme is key to building stronger connections between your organisation and the communities you serve. Some of the key benefits include:
Increased community participation: A well-designed programme encourages active participation from the community, helping to foster a sense of ownership and pride in the outcomes. By involving the public directly, whether in scientific monitoring or environmental improvements, you increase community buy-in and generate more meaningful, long-lasting change.
Enhanced environmental awareness & action: Engaging the public through hands-on educational programmes can increase environmental literacy, empowering individuals to take action in their own lives. When people understand the issues and the science behind them, they are more likely to adopt sustainable practices and advocate for change in their own communities.
Improved data quality & decision-making: By involving participants in the collection and analysis of data, your organisation benefits from a broader, more accurate data set. Community-driven monitoring initiatives can uncover insights that might otherwise be overlooked and can inform better decision-making on local environmental or policy issues.
Fostering a science-literate community: Educating participants, from preschoolers to adults, not only empowers individuals with knowledge, but also contributes to a more science-literate society. As communities become more scientifically informed, they are better equipped to engage in discussions, make informed decisions, and advocate for policies that benefit both the environment and society.
Strengthened relationships & trust: Public engagement programmes help build trust between organisations and the communities they serve. By working together with local groups and involving them in meaningful projects, you create stronger relationships and a more collaborative environment, which can lead to greater success in meeting your goals.
A holistic communications model: Our programmes are designed with a comprehensive communications approach in mind. Unique programme design and branding, combined with engaging educational resources and data collection methods, provides a unified platform to communicate your message effectively across multiple channels, ensuring that your message resonates with a wide audience.
Sustainable impact: Well-executed engagement programmes can create lasting change. By instilling the skills and knowledge necessary for continued action, you ensure that your programme has a lasting impact, long after the initial engagement period has ended.
National Īnanga Spawning Education Programme (NISP)Mountains To Sea Conservation Trust
The National Īnanga Spawning Education Programme (NISP) is a set of environmental education resources developed by EOS Ecology for use in the Whitebait Connection (WBC) programme. We were tasked with producing a full education syllabus, aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of īnanga and their spawning habitat, to help promote their conservation. Developed via Unlocking Curious Minds funding, our Science and Science Interpretation teams developed the concept, did the research, wrote and designed the content, and produced the final outputs for this comprehensive programme. The whole syllabus was designed to sit with WBCs existing brand, and be instantly identifiable as one of their programmes.
To reach as many people as possible, we created multiple versions – ensuring we reached a diverse audience. The programme includes a fully developed syllabus in English and Te Reo Māori (suitable for school aged learners and community groups), as well as a specialised Te Whāriki version for preschoolers, featuring interactive play-based media, and genuinely engaging educational items. Each version is crafted to engage participants, increase knowledge and encourage practical, hands-on actions to protect local īnanga spawning habitats.
As part of the research phase our Science and Science Interpreter teams collaborated closely with well-renowned īnanga expert, Dr Mike Hickford (formerly of University of Canterbury’s Marine Ecology Research Group), to ensure the content was science-based, and externally peer reviewed.
Designed using lots of infographics and icon-based storytelling, the programme captures the life cycle, habitats and spawning processes of īnanga in an approachable way – even for young audiences. From learning about spawning areas (which we endearingly refer to as the ‘love zone’), to practical guidance on installing temporary spawning habitats, the NISP programme offers a versatile and adaptable resource for Whitebait Connection and other educators across Aotearoa to deliver – connecting communities to the fascinating world of īnanga conservation.
All English, Te Reo and Te Whāriki programme resources are available to download for all, free of charge, from the WBC website.
Nature Agents – Ngā Kaitaunaka TaiaoMinistry of Education & EOS Ecology
EOS Ecology designed and developed the ‘Nature Agents – Ngā Kaitaunaki Taiao’ programme to immerse students in environmental science, empowering them to monitor and protect their local waterways. Conceptualised and fully created by EOS Ecology via Ministry of Education Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) and Enriching Local Curriculum (ELC) funding, ‘Nature Agents’ is tailored to bring scientific exploration into schools with hands-on modules for students across primary and secondary schools. The programme’s interactive structure includes custom resources and methods designed to foster a unique blend of scientific rigor and accessibility that resonates with ākonga at all levels. An optional module allows students to collect data on E. coli and river rubbish, expanding their scientific engagement.
To further enhance learning, EOS Ecology incorporated an interactive GIS component using ArcGIS Online, allowing students to upload and analyse their data, explore their catchments and compare findings with other schools. This innovative GIS feature won the NZ Storytelling with Maps competition at the 2019 ESRI User Group Conference, underscoring the programme’s excellence in science education. In the first six years, ‘Nature Agents’ has reached over 2,700 students, exceeding KPIs and providing participants with a meaningful connection to their local environment through our carefully crafted, hands-on science framework that covers the ‘science, technology and maths’ components on the STEAM teaching curriculum.
Tararua Plantain Project SupportDairyNZ
We were engaged by DairyNZ to support landowner and public engagement with their Tararua Plantain Project. This initiative is investigating the environmental benefits of New Zealand-bred plantain cultivars on dairy farms. Focused on the upper Manawatū River catchment, the project included a farmer-led water quality monitoring programme across 21 dairy farm waterway sites.
EOS Ecology’s contribution to the project included members of our Science team designing a suitable macroinvertebrate biomonitoring programme, which was carried out for three years, followed Horizons Regional Council’s state of the environment monitoring methodology. This rigorous approach has provided essential supporting data to assess the impact of plantain cultivation on water quality in the project area.
After processing and analysing the macroinvertebrate samples, our scientists collaborated with our science interpreters to produce individual report cards for each participating landowner. These report cards included the site’s macroinvertebrate community index (MCI) score, explanatory information about the MCI, representative images, and photos of the three most abundant macroinvertebrate species at each location.
We also created a large 1.8 m x 1.2 m wall map infographic displaying the MCI scores across all project and Horizons Regional Council monitoring sites, providing an excellent overview of the data from a broad area. This infographic was used by DairyNZ during Tararua Plantain Project events, and allowed farmers to more easily understand stream health on their properties in relation to other sites in the region – highlighting the potential and observed benefits of the project on waterway health.
Environment InvestigatorsWhitebait Connection Canterbury
Environment Investigators is an īnanga/whitebait education programme developed and implemented by EOS Ecology for Whitebait Connection Canterbury. In our first year 1,400 ākonga from 16 schools/preschools participated in the hands-on learning and scientific investigations revolving around īnanga, the main whitebait species found in the Christchurch waterways.
Our inhouse Whitebait Connection Coordinators engaged students on a journey which included classroom presentations, teaching resources, field investigations and caring for īnanga in classroom fish tanks. The syllabus included life cycle, habitat, threats to the species and what the students can do to help īnanga flourish.
The programme culminated with students releasing their classroom-raised fish at an Īnanga Celebration Day. This fun day included games, a sausage sizzle and an official releasing of their īnanga back to the river. They also took action on behalf of their rivers – producing fliers to post around their neighbourhood (about the detrimental effects of rubbish, leaf litter and dog poo), door knocking and interviewing residents (about their thoughts on the Council mowing down the īnanga habitat on the river banks during spawning season), and subsequently presenting their findings on the poor state of īnanga spawning habitat to both the Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury.
