Best for
Week 3 field session — works alongside or after the Quadrat Sampling handout. Covers broader site-level observation beyond the quadrat frame.
Environmental Mātauranga • Unit 9 Week 3 • Years 7–10 • Field Survey
Biodiversity Survey Sheets
Record what lives here — systematically and carefully. Biodiversity surveys are how we build an evidence base for what the taiao currently holds, what has been lost, and what might be returning.
Free survey sheet, premium localisation path
Want this pre-loaded with a local species checklist for your ecosystem type? Te Wānanga can build a localised version with regional species reference and iwi ecological knowledge for your rohe.
- Pre-built species checklist for your local forest, wetland, or coastal environment.
- Connect survey data to local DOC or regional council biodiversity monitoring.
- Save student observation records in My Kete for longitudinal comparison.
Kaiako planning snapshot
- Use length: 45–60 minutes at the site. A brief 15-minute debrief back in class consolidates the mātauranga Māori connection section.
- Grouping: Groups of 3–4 for field observation; individuals complete the interpretation and reflection. Combine group observation records at the end to get a more complete site picture.
- Prep: Brief students on the difference between recording what they see (observation) and guessing (interpretation) — both have a place but must be kept separate. A printed or digital local species ID guide greatly reduces the "unknown" count.
- Differentiation: Entry: record 5 species minimum from a constrained area; identify native vs introduced. On-level: complete full survey across multiple habitat zones. Extension: research IUCN or NZ threat status for species observed; connect to local iwi ecological knowledge.
- Neurodiversity support: Pre-drawn observation table reduces setup time. Allow students to record via voice memo or photo log rather than written notes in the field — transcribe back in class. Pair visual learners with students who notice sounds and movement.
Resources already provided
- Site details section — location, conditions, survey method
- Multi-column observation table — species, count, native/introduced, habitat zone, notes
- Habitat zones checklist — forest/scrub/wetland/grassland/coastal/stream
- Mātauranga Māori ecological observation section
- Pattern analysis and interpretation questions
- What-we-know / what-we-don't-know synthesis
A local species ID reference must be sourced by the teacher. This handout works with any habitat type — the table structure is generic and not species-specific.
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga / Learning Intentions
- We are learning to conduct a systematic biodiversity survey — observing, recording, and classifying species across a field site.
- We are learning to identify patterns in biodiversity data — recognising which species are abundant, rare, native, or introduced, and what this suggests about the health of the taiao.
- We are learning to connect scientific biodiversity data with mātauranga Māori ecological knowledge as complementary ways of understanding the living world.
Paearu Angitu / Success Criteria
- I can record at least 8 species observations with habitat zone, count, and native/introduced classification.
- I can identify at least two patterns in my biodiversity data and explain what each might suggest about the health of the site.
- I can describe one thing that mātauranga Māori ecological knowledge adds to my scientific survey that the data table alone cannot capture.
Curriculum alignment / Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
This biodiversity survey connects to the NZ Curriculum's Living World strand (ecology — biodiversity, habitat, and ecosystem health) and Nature of Science (engaging with science — careful observation and evidence-based claims). The mātauranga Māori observation section integrates te ao Māori as a knowledge system valued alongside Western science, in line with Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and NZ Curriculum principles.
Curriculum companion in progress
Why this matters in Aotearoa
Aotearoa has some of the highest extinction rates in the world. We have lost more than 50 bird species since human settlement, and thousands of plant and invertebrate species are currently threatened. At the same time, Māori ecological knowledge — accumulated across centuries of careful observation of the taiao — holds detailed records of species presence, seasonal behaviour, and habitat relationships that scientific monitoring is only beginning to document. A biodiversity survey conducted by a class of ākonga contributes to that knowledge tradition, even in a small way.
Site details / Pārongo wāhi
Location / site name:
Date and time:
Weather / conditions:
Survey method used:
Habitat zones present at this site (tick all that apply):
Ripanga tūhuratanga / Observation table
N = native | I = introduced | U = unsure. Record count as approximate if not exact (e.g. "5–10"). Include plants, birds, invertebrates, fungi — everything visible.
| Species / item observed | Count | N/I/U | Habitat zone | Notes / behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ngā tohu o te taiao / Mātauranga Māori observations
Record any signs, sounds, or ecological relationships that go beyond the species count — including anything connected to mātauranga Māori knowledge of this environment.
Any tohu you noticed — animal behaviour, signs of seasonal change, unusual presence or absence of species:
What relationships did you observe between species? (feeding, shelter, competition, etc.)
What does this place feel like? What do you notice that the data table won't capture?
He aha ngā tohu? / What patterns did you notice?
What is the most striking pattern in your observation data? (Could be about abundance, distribution, native/introduced balance, or species relationships.)
What was most surprising about what you found — or didn't find?
What does your survey suggest about the hauora / health of this site? What further data would you need to be confident?
Entry, on-level, and extension pathway
Entry
Record 5 species minimum. Identify native vs introduced for each. Answer pattern question 1 only.
On-level
Record across multiple habitat zones. Complete both the observation table and mātauranga Māori section. Answer all three pattern questions.
Extension
Research the NZ threat classification status of at least 3 species you observed. Connect your findings to a local iwi's ecological monitoring or restoration project if one exists in your rohe.
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Social Sciences — Ecological Sustainability
Level 3–4: investigate local environmental issues; understand that communities have responsibilities to protect the environment for future generations; develop the skills to take informed, responsible action.
Science — Living World / Planet Earth
Level 3–4: observe and describe patterns in the local environment; connect scientific observation to environmental decision-making; understand that human activity affects ecosystems and that this impact can be reduced through careful stewardship.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In te ao Māori, ngahere (forest) is not just habitat — it is whakapapa made visible. Every layer of the forest, from the emergent canopy tōtara and kauri down through the understorey tī kōuka and māhoe to the pūnga and ground cover, represents relationships between species maintained across centuries. Keystone native species — tūī and kererū for seed dispersal, bats for pollination, tuatara and wētā for invertebrate cycling — are not just ecologically important; they carry cultural significance as kaitiaki of the ngahere in their own right.
As you conduct your biodiversity survey today, record not just what is present but what is absent. A ngahere missing its tūī, or a wetland with no kōtuku, is telling you something important. Mātauranga Māori used absence as a diagnostic tool long before ecologists formalised the concept of extirpation. Notice what the taiao is saying through what it no longer contains.