Penguin Experience

Experiencing little blue penguins (Korora) in North Taranaki

60 Springs is offering a 3-day penguin workshop involving 8 students (Year 9 -11) selected from around Taranaki, New Zealand. The workshop will involve a variety of presentations, activities, problem solving and an overnight stay at a local beach.

Students will get to work with Philippa Agnew (marine biologist from Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony), Jenny Lynch (Places for Penguins, Wellington), Mark Meyburg (RSNZ teacher fellow) Elise Smith and Barbara Hammonds (Nga Motu Marine Reserve Society).

This blog will follow the students over the 3 days providing updates of what they get up to on their penguin experience starting 14th July 2010.

Photos: Mark Meyburg; Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony.

Survey: Peoples behaviour and attitude to walking dogs

To see graphs scroll down to the bottom of the blog

In short summary 73 people were surveyed who had a dog as a pet(New Pymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand).

- 7 out of every 10 people said it was not ok for their dogs to chase shorebirds.

- Only 5 out of every 10 people had confidence in the behaviour of other peoples dogs when walking their own dog.

- 6 out of every 10 people agreed (all of the time, most of the time) dogs should always be on a lead

- 85% of people could control their dog when it was off its lead (always, most of ther time).

- 75% of people said their dog would chase a shorebird (yes, if made noise/ran, possibly)

HOW ORGANISATIONS CAN HELP!

Penguin squad suggestions:

1) Put penguin/ shorebird signs up (e.g. Raising awareness that penguins live in the area) in areas where penguins are known to live
2) Put signs up making dog walkers aware that dogs must be on leads or not allowed
3) Hand our leaflets on popular walkways educating the public about risks to shorebirds (including penguins) and how to help
4) Paint Penguinestrians across walkways (a path of penguin footprints)
5) Give out free dog leashes to unleashed dogs on walkways (a positive inititive used successfully in wellington)
6) hold public penguin box building days
7) Use radio, TV and newspapper to raise the profile of issues affecting shorebirds along the coast
8) Gather/ help make sure penguins nesting areas are identified, recorded and protected

COMMENT FROM PENGUIN EXPERIENCE EDUCATOR

Penguin Experience has been a huge success. The Daily News, Midweek, Okato and Fitzroy TOM newspapers have all run stories on the project. Forest and Bird magazine are also due to release a story in the upcoming magazine.

The grestest success however is the contribution the project has had in changing the dog bylaws. The number of bylaw submissions made was the highest of all bylaws under review. The result now means penguins have much better protection along our coastline. A HUGE BONUS!

Pengion Experience 2 is confirmed for October 13-15th, 2011. Applications are now open to Year 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 students living in Taranaki. Only 10 students will be selected based on all applicaiton forms received.