FACTS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL PARKS FACTS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL PARKS By Brendan Leslie and Annemarieke Holtmark van Dijkerhof

CURRICULUM LINKS This PowerPoint presentation is best used within the Social Studies Curriculum. Level 1 students: how and why people record the important features of places and environment. Level 2 students: how people’s activities influence places and the environment and are influenced by them. Level 3 students: how different groups view and use places and the environment.

CONTENTS  What is a National Park? What is a National Park?  How many National Parks are there in New Zealand and where are they? How many National Parks are there in New Zealand and where are they?  Why do we have National Parks? Why do we have National Parks?  World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites  Why conserve National Parks? Why conserve National Parks?  How to conserve a National Park How to conserve a National Park  More information / references More information / references

WHAT IS A NATIONAL PARK? A national park is a large area (at least 10,000 hectares) that contains scenery of such distinctive quality, ecological systems or natural features so beautiful, unique, or scientifically important that their preservation is in the national interest. It’s a place that’s really beautiful. A place to enjoy now and protect for the future.

HOW MANY AND WHERE THEY ARE?  North Island North Island  Upper South Island Upper South Island  Lower South Island Lower South Island

NORTH ISLAND  Tongariro First National Park in New Zealand and Fourth in the world. It contains herb fields, forests, lakes, a desert-like plateau, and active volcanoes.  Te Urewera Is famous for its lakes and forested beauty as well as its stormy history.  Whaganui The Whanganui River winds its way from the mountains to the Tasman Sea through countless hills and valleys and is the heart of Whanganui National Park.  Egmont Here the volcano Taranaki rules supreme - standing tall above the surrounding landscape. There are walks through forests, to waterfalls, wetlands.

UPPER SOUTH ISLAND  Abel Tasman Is renowned for its golden beaches and its world-famous coastal track  Kahurangi The tracks let you explore wild rivers, high plateaux and alpine herbfields, and coastal forests.  Nelson Lakes The park offers beech forest, craggy mountains, clear streams and lakes both big and small.  Paparoa Its boundaries protect the area's forests, minerals, and ecosystems from the mountaintops to the coast.  Arthur’s Pass Its main features are high mountains, large scree slopes, braided rivers and steep gorges.

LOWER SOUTH ISLAND  Tai Poutini/Westland Extends from the highest peaks of the Southern Alps to the remote beaches of the wild West Coast.  Aoraki/Mt. Cook Has the highest mountains and the largest glaciers in New Zealand. The immensity of the landscape dwarfs the village and visitors.  Mt. Aspiring Is a mixture of remote wilderness, high mountains and river valleys. It is a walker's paradise and a must for mountaineers.  Fiordland Snow-capped mountains, rivers of ice, deep lakes, unbroken forests and tussock grasslands produce a landscape of exceptional beauty.  Rakiura/Stewart Is Is the 14th of our national parks and makes up about 85 percent of Stewart Island.

WHY WE HAVE NATIONAL PARKS  They are meant to protect the native plants and animals and landscapes of an area forever.  They are places where people can enjoy themselves - tramping, picnicking, skiing, canoeing, bird watching – but not by changing or disturbing the environment!  National parks are also used for environmental education and scientific research.

Fiordland National ParkAbel Tasman National Park

WORLD HERITAGE SITES World Heritage Sites are sites around the world that have sufficient 'outstanding universal cultural or natural value‘ to merit their recognition as significant parts of our World Heritage. New Zealand has three World Heritage Sites: TT e Wahipounamu/South West New Zealand TT ogariro National Park NN ew Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

WHY CONSERVE NATIONAL PARKS? There is an increasing impact on the natural environment which is damaging plants, creating unsightly rubbish, eroding short cuts, polluting water, and deteriorating facilities. These are now common problems, so we need to conserve our environment so that it is safe and enjoyable for ourselves and future generations. If you do see people damaging natural features or harming native wildlife in a nationalpark, let DOC (Department of Conservation) know. You need to protect the environment for your own sake, for the sake of those who come after you, and for the environment itself.

CONSERVING NATIONAL PARKS 10 Point Checklist Protect Plants and Animals Take Care with Fires Keep Pets out of National Parks Camp Carefully Remove Rubbish Keep to the Track Bury Toilet Waste Respect Our Cultural Heritage Keep Streames and Lakes Clean Consider Others “Take only photos, leave only footprints.”

MORE INFORMATION - REFERENCES The following websites are references and can be used for more information:   rdland/idx-fiordld.php3 rdland/idx-fiordld.php3   Videos reference:  Polymedia (1998).The Ultimate New Zealand Six Pack. Coast to Coast