Hi Everybody. Nick here.

Scouts New Zealand have a great programme designed around Year 1 to Year 3 at school called Keas.

Keas interact with nature and learn to share through co-operation and teamwork.  They engage in active and quiet games, stories, creative crafts, play-acting and singing.  Keas share a motto: ‘I share, I care, I discover, I grow.’

Ngaio’s Kea leader Andrew Evans, invited me to talk to the kids about Enhancing the Halo. I was happy to do so and loved meeting such a fantastic group of kids.

I got a great thank you letter from Andrew and also an insight to kids minds. Here is the letter.

Hello Nick

Thanks for coming along tonight, the kids had a great time and (I hope) learned something. This activity goes towards their “Caring Kea” conservation badge, which they should all be getting in a few weeks.

As requested, I asked the kids why native birds are important, and why we should protect them.

Here are the answers:

Because if they die they won’t get to grow

So we can have more birds

Because if we kill the native birds all the things that eat native birds like cats will also die

Because we could be rich

New Zealand birds are important because they only live in New Zealand and nowhere else

So they keep the environment healthy

Because some are endangered like Kiwis and there are not many left and they could become extinct

So they can make more birds

Because they get cute babies

Because we’ll keep getting more birds

I have a DoC 200 in my back yard, I’ve caught two rats so far (and one mouse in a mousetrap after it started eating the rat bait).  Looking forward to getting a few more.

Thanks again

Andrew Evans

Ngaio Kea Leader

Call 0800 SCOUTS to find your local Kea Club!