Geography in action at Māngere Mountain

Around 60 Year 11 Geography students swapped the classroom for the crater this week, heading to Te Pane o Mataoho Māngere Mountain.

Students gathered data to develop their understanding of land use on Māngere Mountain by early Māori, early European and present day people, and learned about the geology and formation of Māngere Mountain.

There was a special emphasis on early Maori land use by the ancestors of the local iwi (who run the Education Centre). Students participated in traditional Māori gardening (māra kai) and traditional Māori stick games (tī rākau) workshops to enhance their understanding of early Māori land use on Māngere Mountain. The kumara and taro they harvested from the centre’s garden will be given back to the Māngere Community.

Māngere is one of the most well-preserved volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field, making it a perfect outdoor classroom for understanding both the physical ‘bones’ of the earth and the human history layered on top of it.