ABC of New Zealand

Watch this slide share and talk about the different animals and plants that you see.

ABC Native Animals and Plants of New Zealand. from Valley School

Challenge! Can you and your learning partner think of an animal or plant living in NZ for each letter of the alphabet? Good luck :)

New Zealand is a unique environment at the

New Zealand is a unique environment at the bottom of the world.  We are very lucky to live here.
Watch this slideshow and discuss with your learning partner why New Zealand is so special.

http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/new-zealand-flora-and-fauna/

Who lives in the bush?

Listen to the sounds of our native bush and try and decide - who lives here?

Plants

Parts of a plant - kids video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX2m2n2uDAE

Bushmansfriend educational resources  
http://www.neok12.com/Plants.htm

Lifecycle of plants
http://www.turtlediary.com/kindergarten-games/science-games/plant-life-cycle.html

http://www.mitre10.co.nz/how_to_guides/gardening/medicinal_uses_for_nz_native_plants/

Medicinal uses for NZ Native plants

Invertebrates of the Bush Floor
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone – generally
insects of various types. Invertebrates are a key part of healthy
native ecosystems, but are often overlooked. Different types
of invertebrates have important roles in keeping your bush
remnant functioning:
• decomposers break down wood and leaves on the forest
fl oor to release nutrients back to plants – for example,
ground weta

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• pollinators – for example, fl ies, beetles, night-fl ying moths
and lizards
• herbivores feed on leaves, branches and twigs – for
example, stick insects and scale insects
• predators or parasites prey or feed on other invertebrates
– for example, native preying mantis
• prey – invertebrates are important sources of food for
native lizards and birds such as morepork, kingfi shers,
fantails and grey warblers.
To provide a healthy home for invertebrates,

Common species of cnimals found in forest litter

In the forest litter the most numerous animals are mites, caterpillars and grubs, springtails, litter hoppers, woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, beetles, and spiders.

Native Birds    http://labarker.com/NZbirds.html

New Zealand Falcon | Blue Duck | Brown Kiwi | Great Spotted Kiwi
Little Spotted Kiwi | Weka | Kakapo | Kaka | Kea | Red-Crown Parakeet
Yellow-Crowned Parakeet | Orange-Fronted Parakeet | New Zealand Pigeon
Shining Cuckoo | Long-Tailed Cuckoo
Morepork | Rifleman | Bush Wren | Brown Creeper | Grey Warbler | Whitehead
Yellowhead | Fantail | Tit | Robin | Silvereye | Stitchbird | Bellbird | Tui
Saddleback | Kokako | New Zealand Thrush

Native Trees

http://www.gardens.co.nz/natives.cfm

The native flora of New Zealand is rich and unique having evolved in isolation for millions of years, because of this it has a distinctive look about it. No fewer than 80% of New Zealand's native plants and trees are endemic i.e. occurring here and nowhere else. Although few have showy flowers the variety of foliage colour, texture, and shape is unsurpassed. ARTICLES Medicinal uses of some New Zealand plants Species at Risk Native plants - descriptions and growing hints Puriri Trees Tree Ferns Native Grasses Versatile New Zealand Natives About Pohutakawa and Rata Native Plants suited to Shade Native Plants in Wendy's Garden Renga renga lily Hebes - Liddle Wonder's selections NURSERIES Mail Order Nurseries Naturally Native LINKS Planting with New Zealand Natives A database of NZ plant photos Forest Floor - Grow more trees Tree Fern Discussion Group Native plants in Coehaven - Otaki Tree Ferns Downunder The NZ West Coast Fern Co. NZ Horticulture Online - native plants & forum Forest Fungi of New Zealand Native Forest Action Project Crimson - saving our Pohutukawas The New Zealand Garden at Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Isle of Wight, UK. New Zealand Native Trees New Zealand Plant Conservation Network PHOTOS Fuchsia procumbens Fuchsia excorticata Tree Ferns & Ground Ferns NZ Clematis NZ Clematis and Rimu Mountain Flax Hebe Speciosa Kaka Beak 'Kaka King' Kaka Beak 'White Heron' Kowhai 'Dragon's Gold' Kumeraho Lophomyrtus 'Kathryn' Rewarewa Nikau Tree Fern Mamaku New Zealand Hibiscus Lancewood Puka