Education Programme

Rotoroa Island offers an immersive conservation learning visit focused on New Zealand's unique native species and ecosystems. Our curriculum-focused programme run by experienced educators creates opportunities for students (Years 5-8) to connect with nature and deepen their understanding of conservation, how biodiversity is linked across habitats, and how ecosystems interact. It encourages students to examine their values, thinking, and behaviour relating to nature and conservation, and determine how they can contribute both now and in the future.

Leadership Through Conservation

Students develop leadership and collaboration skills through shared conservation experiences. They learn to value teamwork, take responsibility, and understand the power of collective action in protecting Aotearoa’s natural environment.

Learning Tailored to Your School

Flexible and easy to integrate into your curriculum, our programme aligns with your school's topics and goals, supporting your community's unique vision.

We're Here to Support You

Our experienced educators and staff work closely with you to customize and deliver a programme that meets your school's goals and vision.

Thanks to the support of our sponsors

What's involved?

This three-day programme, delivered over six weeks in Terms 1 or 4, includes an unforgettable visit to Rotoroa Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

  • Passionate Educators

    Passionate educators with in-depth knowledge of Aotearoa New Zealand’s flora and fauna, especially Rotoroa Island, who bring conservation to life through engaging stories, hands-on learning, and genuine enthusiasm.

  • Hands-on & Fun

    Active, inquiry-based learning that’s packed with discovery and fun. Helping students build real-world understanding of science and sustainability.

  • Real-World Environmental Action

    Active support to help students take real-world environmental action in their community—this could include creating a poster, writing an article for the school newsletter, organising a beach clean-up, writing a poem, or starting a vegetable garden.

  • A Specialist Journal 

    Each student receives their own journal to record observations, citizen science data, and personal reflections throughout the programme. In the final workshop, they revisit their findings to analyse results, make connections, and plan their own conservation actions.

Programme Breakdown

Pre-Visit Classroom Workshop (2.5 hours)

Prepare students for their island visit with an engaging introduction to Rotoroa Island, conservation challenges, and native wildlife. Through a variety of hands-on activities, students are split into small groups where they explore ideas, generate discussion, and share their thinking. For example, students investigate producers, consumers, and decomposers, building an understanding of how ecosystems work that can be revisited and explored further during their time on the island. They begin their field journals, recording observations and developing questions to guide their learning.

Island Field Experience (Full-Day Trip)

Students take part in a rich, curriculum-linked outdoor learning day, applying observation, investigation, and data collection skills in a real conservation setting. The day includes a guided nature walk where students record the trees they see and identify birds by sight and sound, building their observation skills. At the wetlands, they take part in hands-on science through water testing, collecting and recording data in their journals. Students enjoy lunch at the beach, followed by an afternoon exploring the rock pools, discovering marine life and understanding coastal ecosystems.

Reflection & Action Classroom Workshop (1.5 hours)

In a final session back at school, students analyse and interpret their findings, reflect on ecosystem health, and explore the positive impact of human actions on the environment. Linking to the New Zealand Curriculum strands of Science (Living World) and Nature of Science, they use evidence to explain ecological relationships. Using prepared iNaturalist slides, students explore the biodiversity in their local area to see what species are around their school and learn how citizen science contributes to conservation. They also examine eDNA data from a nearby stream to discover what organisms are present in their local waterways. Through real-life scenarios, students work in small groups to discuss, problem-solve, and identify practical, positive actions they can take to support conservation, reinforcing their learning from the island experience.

DAY 01
DAY 02
DAY 03

What will students see, do, or explore during the visit to Rotoroa Island?

They may:
  • Observe native birds such as tīeke/saddleback, pōpokotea/whitehead, and takahē, noting their behaviours, adaptations, and habitats, and recording descriptive observations and labelled notes, while recording the species they see and hear in their journals.
  • Explore plant life, including pōhutukawa, pūriri, and other native flora, describing how these support food webs.
  • Conduct simple ecological investigations, such as testing water clarity, temperature, and pH in wetlands, measuring, recording, and comparing results.
  • Discuss predator-free conservation and biosecurity, developing ideas through group discussion and recording key points and questions.
  • Connect observations to the roles species play in the ecosystem and why they are considered taonga/treasures, supported through written reflections.

New Zealand Science Curriculum connections

Science – Nature of Science
  • Understanding about Science L1–2: Appreciate that scientists ask questions about the natural world that lead to investigations.
  • Investigating in Science, Communicating in Science.
Science – Living World
  • Ecology L1–2: Recognise that living things are suited to their particular habitat.
  • Evolution L1–3: Begin to group plants, animals, and other living things into science-based classifications; understand variation and adaptation.
  • Life Processes L1–3: Recognise the requirements for life and how processes occur in different ways across species.
Additional links
  • Social Science: Human impact on the environment, local community engagement.
  • History: Restoration history of Rotoroa Island and cultural significance.
  • Geography: Landforms, habitats, and water systems.

How much does it cost?

$40 per student, which includes the ferry ticket with Explore Group NZ, plus experienced educator knowledge and facilitation.
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FAQs

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By taking part in the Rotoroa Island Education Programme, students will:

  • Explore and connect with Aotearoa’s unique natural environments, gaining an understanding of what conservation means in their own lives.
  • Investigate and problem-solve real environmental challenges through hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
  • Experience joy and curiosity in nature, deepening their understanding of how ecosystems function.
  • Take informed action by developing their own conservation projects that support local and community goals.
  • Engage with citizen science by exploring biodiversity and discovering how everyday observations can support conservation.

The programme runs during Term 1 and Term 4.

It is aimed at 10-14 year old students,all facilitated by at least two Rotoroa Island educators.

The cost is $40 per student, including the ferry to the island with Explore Group. We are able to offer this significantly subsidised rate thanks to the generous support of the Jenkins Foundation, Kiowa Charitable Trust, Due Drop, and Neil & Annette Plowman. This Includes the cost of the ferry, however the transport to the ferry terminal is not included.

A 1:6 ratio, adult to student is required. 

30 students are the minimum number for this trip.

Ready to Bring Your Students to Rotoroa?

Bookings for Term 4, 2026 are open. 

Please enquire below or contact our Programme Manager – Stacey: education@rotoroa.org.nz,

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