Had a fabulous time at the Kids Connect hui, Hutt City, last Tues. Students, years 5-8, were there from many of the Hutt schools.
In the morning I was part of a discussion group. Students shared all the fabulous things they were doing to look after our plants & animals.
Then in the afternoon we played Cloak of Protection. We had groups of 8-10 students for 15 minutes a rotation. My friend Elizabeth & I taught the game on speed!! But all the groups got to trade and feel the impact of our predators.
The next day, I heard that some students were back at their schools playing the game – cool!
It was great to meet students & teachers, and to start 13 new schools on the enviroschools teaching, learning & sales network.
Meanwhile Gordon & Ann, of Kapiti Boardgamers, were in Hamilton this last weekend – playing games. They’ve taken Cloak of Protection to play with the Hamilton folks + they’ll be testing Gordon’s new role-playing game about saving the ocean. We played it last weekend & we all lost – we weren’t sure whether to blame the CEO of the company, or if it was the lack of a green person to fight more strongly for the environment. But down went our eco-system.
I was a beach-walker, and, as the beach got lost & saved & lost again, I had to walk around the city.
I would SO miss Waikanae beach. Me (walking and collecting), dogs (chasing sticks & seagulls), & families (splashing in the water / net fishing on the beach).
In Cloak of Protection, the dog is a predator. Attracted by the strong smell of brown kiwi, one dog can do a lot of damage – some kill hundreds!! Even adult kiwi are easily found and crushed by dogs. SO we know to be careful where dogs are allowed to run free.
Once – the kuri dogs (they arrived with the Polynesian settlers about 1280AD) – were fed mostly on fish – not from the beach, so much, but from scavenging around camps.
Interesting facts & trivia from the booklet that goes with the game, Cloak of Protection