Project Noah and other apps

We have looked at a number of different applications for mobile devices and phones to help with the work we are doing at Gordon St. If you have an iPod Touch, iPhone or Android device you can try out the Project Noah app, its free to download or visit the iTunes store to get it for an Apple device.

The best way to find out how to use it is to get it and test it out! Have fun and let me know how it goes. If you post your 'spottings' on the map we can all see what you have discovered.

If you don't have a suitable mobile device you can still participate by using your computer, the school computers or at the library, go to Project Noah and enjoy.

"Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere."

Update

It is nearly the end of term and the fences are up and the planting plan in development. There has been some graffiti in the past couple of months, but we are painting over it as quickly as it goes up. This will be less of a problem once the planting has established and started to grow up the fence panels.

Next year will be exciting as some of the ideas start to develop, these include more planting to provide shade for the water in the storm drain, building the insect hotels,a bioblitz to determine what currently lives in the area, plans for a bridge across the drain and backyard safaris.

We are always happy to look at new ideas, so if you have any flashes of genius over the holidays let us know.

Fences

The painting of the fences has nearly finished and some images below of the completed sections. Once the native planting plan is finished we shall begin to plant the fence line. As the plants grow they will add another layer of protection to the fences, as long as the plants aren't nicked like last time! And by coincidence the paint colour is called Gordon's Green.

Kids Restore New Zealand

We had a visit from KRNZ Trustees, Ruud Klienpaste and Scott Bremner on Tuesday. They were coming to look at the work being done and talk to students about their ideas. It was really helpful to meet with them and it has generated more ideas as to the work we can be doing.

Fence

The first stage of the fence protection system is up. We now need to decide on whether to paint the exposed fence before we begin the planting along the fence line. Overtime the plan is that the plants will use the fence sculpture as a support to grow up, so adding a further barrier to stop the graffiti vandalism. Also if we can raise further funds we will begin adding more sculptural elements to the fence reflecting the biodiversity of the region.

Enviro Mini Golf

Students from last year who developed ideas for a mini golf course with an environmental theme are putting in an application to the WWF Environmental Education Action Fund. The images below are some of the initial concept ideas and if they are successful with their application then we could be having the first enviro golf championship next year!

GigaPan

GigaPans are large quality panoramas, which you can click and zoom in to see incredible details. It is much easier to explore them than describe them. So click here and have a look. Being able to produce these for the Gordon St. Project will be of great value, not only to explore the Gordon St. area but also across the region. They are also developing macro Gigapans, so you can explore images taken using a microscope to explore the microscopic world for example a barnacle. Sounds boring? Well have a look here.
Other developments include using the same concept but applied to time lapse films and an interesting education project, you can watch the video below. Lastly they have just finished a Bioblitz using peoples gigapans and when there is more information on this I shall put here. Overall the system provides huge potential for us to use in all sorts of creative and exciting ways.