Website for Kiwi Conservation Club

Forest and Bird, Issue 294, 1 November 1999, Page 44

Website for Kiwi Conservation Club

—Carol Knutson.

mbracing both the need for conservation information and modern technology, the Kiwi Conservation Club is now ‘online’ on the world-wide web at www.kcc.org.nz Every day Forest and Bird receives requests from children and teachers for information about New Zealand wildlife and wild places, as conservation and the natural environment slowly but surely edge their way into the education curriculum. At the same time, the growth of information technology is moving at a much faster rate as more homes and schools install computers with the capability of accessing the world-wide web. The objective of the KCC website is to offer a fun, informative, educational and ‘interactive’ introduction to New Zealand wildlife and wild places. The target audience is children of KCC age (5-13 years). The secondary audience is teachers and secondary school students. The KCC website contains information on a wide spectrum of conservation and environmental topics, including ‘how to be green at school’, where to find more environmental information, how to write to politicians, information about Forest and Bird and KCC, and Forest and Bird fact sheets. Each of these sheets focusses on a single subject: perhaps a New Zealand species like the weta, or an ecosystem, or an environmental issue such as marine reserves. There is also a special ‘passworded’ section for KCC members only where they can find extra puzzles, games and information provided exclusively for them. It is hoped that by making the most of the technology available, Forest and Bird can reach a wider audience through its KCC website. The idea is to encourage children and their educators to learn more about the natural world and the active part they can play in caring for the planet.