🌿 Biodiversity in Aotearoa

Te Kanorau Koiora — The Variety of Life

🦎 A Unique Ark of Life

Biodiversity means the variety of all living things — plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. Aotearoa has extraordinary biodiversity because of our isolation. Many of our species are found nowhere else on Earth.

80%+

of our species are endemic (only found here)

4,000+

native plant species

200+

native bird species

Why Biodiversity Matters

Ecosystem Services

🌱 Clean air — plants produce oxygen
💧 Clean water — wetlands filter water
🐝 Pollination — insects help plants reproduce
🌿 Medicine — many medicines come from nature
🥗 Food — fish, plants, honey
⛅ Climate regulation — forests absorb carbon
😌 Wellbeing — nature improves mental health

🦜 Our Unique Species

🥝

Kiwi

Flightless, nocturnal, national icon

🦎

Tuatara

Living fossil, 200+ million years old

🦜

Kākāpō

World's only flightless parrot

🦗

Wētā

Giant insects, heavier than a mouse

🦅

Kea

World's only alpine parrot

🌳

Kauri

Ancient giant trees, 1,000+ years old

⚠️ Threats to Biodiversity

Major Challenges

🐀 Introduced predators — rats, stoats, possums kill native species
🏠 Habitat loss — forests cleared for farming/housing
🌡️ Climate change — changing conditions species can't adapt to
🌿 Invasive plants — weeds outcompete native plants
🦠 Disease — threats like kauri dieback

NZ has one of the highest extinction rates in the world.

🛡️ Conservation Efforts

What's Being Done

🏝️ Predator-free islands — sanctuaries for rare species
🎯 Predator Free 2050 — goal to remove rats, stoats, possums
🌲 Native planting — restoring forests
🥚 Breeding programs — kākāpō, kiwi recovery
🤝 Community groups — trap lines, weed clearance
🏛️ National parks — protecting wild areas

✏️ Activities

Activity: Local Biodiversity Survey

Visit your school grounds or a local park and count:

How many different plant species can you find? (Native vs. introduced)
What birds do you see or hear?
What invertebrates (insects, spiders) can you find?
What could be done to improve biodiversity in this area?

My observations:

👩‍🏫 Teacher Notes

Curriculum Links

Science: Living World — ecology, adaptation
Geography: Environment, sustainability
Te Ao Māori: Kaitiakitanga