Project Island Song is successfully returning native birdsong to the islands of Ipipiri, note by note. The project has eradicated all introduced pest predators, planted tens of thousands of native trees, and introduced ongoing weed and pest control.
These seven islands have now been pest-free since 2009, during which time eight rare and threatened species have been reintroduced to Ipipiri, with many more planned.
Thanks to generous support from the Joyce Fisher Charitable Trust, Project Island Song’s education programme enables students of all ages to experience and learn about New Zealand’s unique ecology and play an active role in its restoration.
Each year up to 400 children from at least ten Northland schools are launched on a voyage of discovery, learning, and leadership development on our Floating Classrooms, a unique day of nature-based learning on the islands, where students use their own skills and senses to explore, plant, build, listen, and observe.
Before the island visit, our experienced educators use curriculum-aligned activities to engage with students at interactive school-based sessions to introduce key concepts and support teachers and students to make the most of the field opportunity. A few weeks after the island trip, our educators return to the school where students present the skills and knowledge they have taken away from their experience.
The programme works with schools across the region, supporting equitable access to the islands for students, some of whom have never had the opportunity to go on a boat or visit the islands before.
Further to the Floating Classrooms, Project Island Song provides learning opportunities for all ages through partnerships with secondary and tertiary education providers from around the Bay of Islands and beyond, as well as active participation in conservation with youth organisations including the R. Tucker Thompson Sailing Trust, Gateway programme, and more.
