Science Learning Hub

💡In the Nelson area? Got an 8-13 year old? Make sure they get to this STEAMS Festival!

INSPIRE Festival 2026-Tickets on SALE now-until 20 August!
• Two days of inspiring STEAMS learning — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Maths & Society.
• Ages 8–13 (up to Year 8) — designed to challenge, inspire and encourage young people to think differently.
• Friday: 1–2 hour hands-on workshops.
• Saturday: 2–4 hour in-depth workshops for students to really dive into a topic.
• Student choice: Students select up to 4 sessions that interest them.
• Real-world learning: Connects classroom theory with exciting careers, discoveries and innovations.
• Expert-led: Workshops and discussions are delivered by New Zealand scientists, professionals, business leaders and tertiary/college students.
To get tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/inspire-festival-tickets-1981551629265?aff=oddtdtcreator
Programme Description and TIMETABLE:
https://heyzine.com/flip-book/79774ff44c.html

The long road to Lake restoration: Lessons from the past, challenges for the future
5:30pm, 18 August 2026 at The University of Waikato

Come along to this free lecture by Professor Deniz Özkundakci. It will look at how we know why many lakes became polluted and we know much more about how to restore them – but what does recovery look like in a changing climate?

Register: https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/events/find-event/hamilton-public-lecture-by-professor-deniz/

📚Related educational resources:

The Hub has extensive resources on freshwater for example:
Lakes380 – Our lakes’ health: past, present, future – find out about the largest scientific study ever undertaken of lakes in Aotearoa https://bit.ly/404aCjL

Join us as we celebrate and farewell Dr Cathy Buntting – the Hubs’ inaugural project manager – with a new article looking at 25 years of innovation and excellence.

⭐https://bit.ly/4giD6Aj

The University of Waikato Te Kura Toi Tangata - School of Education - University of Waikato Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Protecting Aotearoa's manu starts with all of us.

If you come across sick, injured, or dead wild birds and suspect it could be Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), our HPAI Reporter makes it easy to report what you've seen. Every report helps build a clearer picture of what's happening on the ground and supports a coordinated response if HPAI is detected.

Our HPAI webpage contains more than just a reporting tool. You'll also find:
• Information about HPAI and what it means for Aotearoa.
• Resources to help identify the signs of HPAI.
• Guidance on what to do if you encounter affected wildlife.
• Links to trusted resources and the latest updates.

By staying informed and reporting what you see, you're helping protect our native wildlife, our taonga species, and the people who care for them.

Report a sighting or explore our HPAI resources here: https://ttw.nz/hpai/

Don't miss hearing from the winner of the 2026 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching!

Registration - NZIBO The national entrance examination to select students to participate in the NZIBO training programme is held on the fifth Wednesday of Term 3. For more details see the Programme page.

"...stubbornly hopeful work for te taiao" 💛

These profiles from Te Tira Whakamātaki look like they could be a great resource for teaching.

We are fortunate to host two recorded webinars with Tame, one on indigenous pest management (https://bit.ly/3wsjGkR) and one exploring Kaitiakitanga (https://bit.ly/3A92a96).

Find more resources on a range of topics from TTW here: https://ttw.nz/educational-resources/

This week, we’re returning to Ngā Tangata o te Marama, a refreshed profile series from Te Tira Whakamātaki about people doing thoughtful, practical, and stubbornly hopeful work for te taiao.

Ngā Tāngata o te Marama returns with Tame Malcolm, whose mahi spans the ngahere, pest control, iwi responsibilities, policy tables, and the complex conversations that come with conservation in Aotearoa.

Growing up in Rotorua, Tame always knew he wanted to work in the bush. His journey has taken him through hunting, trapping, DOC, Te Tira Whakamātaki, research, biosecurity, and now Te Arawa Lakes Trust, where his work focuses on protecting the mana and mauri of Te Arawa and its lakes.

In this first profile, Tame reflects on learning from the forest, the realities of pest control, the limits of the current conservation system, social media, 1080, kaitiakitanga, and why the work always comes back to te taiao, whakapapa, and responsibility.

Meet Tame and read his full story on our website: https://ttw.nz/2026/07/28/nga-tangata-o-te-marama-tame-malcolm/