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Riverbend Refuge
Hey, humans! I’m your ‘fan-trail’ guide Huanui. Here’s a quiz question: what is a baby eel called?
You’ll have to read on to find out the answer!
Our native tūna eel are amazing. Ok, they’re not adorable like us pīwakawaka, but their life story is incredible all the same.
The 8 artworks installed here in 2019 were made by local primary school students and artist Richard ‘Pops’ Baker.
Adult tūna (keep an eye out for them in the river) head out to sea and swim thousands of kilometers to spawn (have their babies). Shortfin tuna are about 15-30 years old when they leave; longfin eels can be anything between 25 years and 80 years old. They migrate near Tonga and other areas of the Pacific Ocean to breed and die. What a marathon effort!
The newbies (eel offspring) then swim all the way back to Aotearoa New Zealand, and live here until they are old enough to have families of their own.
Did you also know that water pollution and habitat degradation is impacting our eels? Please look after my friends the eels. Pick up litter from roadside gutters and don’t wash vehicles near roads. Pollution, soapy water and any chemicals that go down gutters (grilles on the street or downpipes from your roof) goes straight out to sea. E kore e pai! Not good!
Be a stormwater superhero and a tūna kaitiaki!
ANSWER: Baby eels are known as ‘glass eels’ and, when they darken up, are called ‘elvers’. Well done if you got the answer correct!
Links:
Riverbend Refuge artwork and design
https://thegreenlab.org.nz/riverbend-refuge/
Stormwater Superhero education resource
https://www.chchenvirohub.org/blog/stormwater-superhero-trailer/
School-based tūna kaitiaki programme
https://www.chchenvirohub.org/blog/te-tuna-taone/
Te Reo news item, tūna release
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EAeGb4gWG/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Next steps:
Pick up 5 campaign