water

Earth is called the blue planet due to the abundance of water. About 70% of the surface of the Earth...

Water seems to be everywhere in New Zealand. Oceans surround us. There are hundreds of lakes and rivers. Some South...

Use these Material World resources for NZ Curriculum levels 1 and 2 to explore the characteristics of solids, liquids, gases...

When you look across a lake, what colour do you expect to see? The common answer is usually blue – but what shade of blue? The...

Waitī is a whetū in the Matariki cluster. It is the star connected to freshwater: springs, streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and the plants and animals that...

In Aotearoa New Zealand, water is our most precious resource, yet it is often taken for granted and perceived to be unlimited. Smart Water is a...

In 2018, a map named after an oceanographer went viral. The so-called Spilhaus projection, in which Earth is viewed from above the South Pole, was designed...

Wetlands are ‘in between’ areas – they are permanently or intermittently wet areas on the margins of drier land or along the margins of water bodies...

This Connected article by Sophie Fern, reports on a survey of a 100-metre long rocky reef located 11 kilometres off the Taranaki coast. Students from local...

Rivers and Us is a Waikato Regional Council (WRC) initiative to help educators, students and the community to consider the state of water in their local...

Rivers and Us is a Waikato Regional Council (WRC) initiative to help teachers, students and communities investigate the water in their local area. It explores how...

Urban rivers are generally the most polluted waterways in New Zealand. These river catchments include built-up areas with lots of people and industries. The water flows...

The Waikato region has the highest number of dairy farms in New Zealand. It also has the largest number of dairy cattle – over 1.2 million...

Maintaining good water quality is important for healthy ecosystems and healthy humans. There are several national, regional and local government agencies that look after water quality:...

A water catchment is an area of land and the water that collects and moves through it. A catchment is often bordered by hills or mountains....

Clean water is vital for ecosystems and the economy. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Science (NIWA), regional councils and other agencies regularly monitor streams...

There are more than 16,000 km of rivers and streams in the Waikato region, several vast lakes and wetlands and a myriad of smaller water bodies....

Students from Wilford School in Petone, Lower Hutt, found more than they expected when snorkelling in Lowry Bay. They decided to investigate the connection between rubbish...

This article recounts the conversation between Tane, his dad and the scientists they find testing the health of their local river. It looks at the information...

Plants are important in several key processes involved in the interacting systems of the Earth, including the hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Three of these processes are...

Kei te rauemi nei ētahi whakamārama mō ngā karangatanga matua ka kitea i a koe e tūhura ana i ngā kōawa wai māori, i ngā awa...

The seas surrounding New Zealand are complex. They are a connected and dynamic mix of chemical, physical and biological processes. The sheer size of the ocean...

This resource provides explanations of the key terms encountered when exploring freshwater streams and rivers and native fish. This resource is intended to be used alongside...

Estuaries are extremely valuable. They: are nurseries – breeding grounds for fish and birds maintain the health of coastal fisheries and waters are a buffer between...

In the past, many New Zealanders have not understood the value of estuaries. Many European settlers initially viewed estuaries as unproductive wastelands. Land was reclaimed for...

People like to live near estuaries. In pre-European times, estuaries were favourite places for Māori to gather – particularly to harvest and enjoy kaimoana. Today, there...

Estuaries have a life cycle. They form, they age as they infill with sediment and they transform to other environments, such as freshwater marshes. They are...