Nona Te Ao School Visits

Sharing Our World with the Next Generation 🐝🌱🐑

Last week, we had the privilege of welcoming students from Tolaga Bay Area School and Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School for an immersive, behind-the-scenes experience across our farms, native nursery, and Mānuka honey hives.

This special visit was about more than just showing them our work – it was about inspiring curiosity, sharing knowledge, and connecting young people to the land, animals, and ecosystems that sustain us.

Spring at Makarika Farm 🐄🐑

At Makarika Farm, Farm Manager Rore Aupouri walked students through the bustling spring season – a time when lambs and calves are born and animal care is at its most important. Students learned how we nurture livestock during these early stages of life and why seasonal cycles matter for farm management.

After the tour, everyone enjoyed kai grown right on the farm, tasting the freshness of produce that comes from soil to plate in the same place.

Native Nursery – Growing for the Future 🌱🌏

The journey continued at our Native Nursery, where students discovered how we grow and care for plants that restore ecosystems, protect waterways, and improve biodiversity. They learned about propagation techniques, the importance of native species, and how these efforts contribute to long-term environmental resilience.

Inside the Hive – The World of Mānuka Honey 🍯🐝

The day ended with a sweet highlight – a visit to our Mānuka honey hives. Honey Operations Manager Blake introduced the fascinating social structure of bees – from the queen to the drones to the tireless worker bees. Students explored how bees make and store honey, the role of Mānuka flowers in creating our unique honey, and why pollinators are so vital to the environment.

The session finished with a treat – tasting fresh honey straight from the comb, a moment that sparked wide-eyed smiles.

In Their Words 💬

One teacher summed it up perfectly:

Acknowledgements 🙌

A heartfelt thanks to Jess and the Nōnā Te Ao Charitable Trust team for helping make this day possible. It was an inspiring, educational, and memorable experience – and a powerful reminder of how important it is to share our world with the next generation.