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Sunday, 6 November 2016

Biba's Grandad's Talk


Learning about the Kauri from Biba's grandad Ron.

We were so lucky to have Biba's Grandad come in and share a little bit of his expansive knowledge about trees with us.  He knows so much and is so passionate about our NZ native trees, especially the Kauri.  He taught us many things and hopefully has made us wonder about a lot more. 

 Room 5 and Annie Cowsill would like to thank you, Ron, so much for giving up your time and for all the wonderful things you brought in to show us.  Biba make sure you show Poppa  this blog,

     This is a baby Kauri tree leaf.

Here we are showing the size of the 400 year old Kauri's trunk.  It's girth. It has made us wonder how many children it would take to show Tane Mahuta's trunk.  Ron thought about 15.

Look closely at this.  Your challenge is to find the kauri trees in our playground now that you know what the leaves look like.

Wasn't this piece of bark amazing, Ron showed us that so many different plants grow on the Kauri.  It's like it has its own little garden growing up the trunk.  We will have to investigate more about this.

Please could you post a comment about:
  1. something interesting Ron told us
  2. something that Ron made you wonder about
  3. something you would like to say to Ron

Thank you Damar for putting these photos on the blog.
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35 comments:

  1. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:01

    Thank you so much Ron! We have learnt so much from you! <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:03

    I wonder if leaves could speard kauri dieback.
    FB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:17

      No- the disease is soil borne, primarily spread by pigs goats and humans

      Delete
  3. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:05

    Thank you Ron for coming to see us in room 5 we loved what you told us. What you said about survival of the fittest made me wonder about how many small trees you have that are still fighting for life. JD

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:06

    Thank you Ron for teaching us about the Kauri. From your talk I have been wondering about the Kauri and how many plants/bugs/animals live on Tane Mahuta. It was very interesting how the piece of Kauri that Catherine brought in was 30,000-50,000 years old!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:19

      There would be thousands but the Kauri has evolved a unique bark shedding process to limit parasites.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:07

    Saying Something To Ron: Thank You so much to come to us and telling about Kauri facts. Thank you again.
    Question: How do the plants gather air and water if it goes to the Kauri Tree?
    Question 2: How is the Spagnum moss created?
    Remembrance: I remember that you also told us that on the floor of some native NZ tree forests are natural sponges and the one you brought in could fill up about a glass halfway full of water.
    From: HB/Hamish Barker.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:20

      1. The Kauri affects all the plants around it. The bigger and stronger it gets, the weaker plants around it get.

      2. Moss roots in the ground and draws nutrients and water from the ground and the atmosphere.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:08

    Thank you Ron for coming to our classroom to talk to us.
    I remember about you telling us how the kauri will start losing bark and after lots and lots and lots of bark falls off it creates a type of mountain like barrier to protect it self,
    and that spagnum moss grows on the kauri roots and sucks up water that helps the kauri.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:09

    Thanks without you we would be a blank piece of paper.
    I learnt that there are usualy a lots of baby kauri trees growin uparound it but 50%
    of baby tree dont come up and they die.
    I wonder if a baby kauri could just spurt up out of no where when there where no people?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:21

      Hi Biba

      The wind carries seeds, if it lands where the conditions are suitable it will grow.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:10

    Thank you Ron for coming into our classroom and talking to us about Kauri dieback.
    We really enjoyed you talking to us. I learnt that Spagnum moss can produce water if you squeeze it and that the bark of a Kauri tree can contain 35 different species growing on it. I am wondering if any other types of plants can produce water?
    And again thank you for coming to our class and talking to us.
    Ojas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:23

      Hi Ojas

      Spagnum moss doesn't make the water, but it holds water. Lots of other plants hold water too, like cactus in the desert but I wouldn't recommend squeezing one..

      Delete
  9. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:10

    Thank you Ron for coming to tech as about kuri trees. It would take 15 kids holding hands. Thats how wide the trunk is. I wonder how much water the kuair trees drink.jw

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:24

      A huge Kauri like Tane Mahuta would take hundreds of litres of water every day.

      Delete
  10. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:11

    Thank you Ron for teaching room 5 so much about kauri tree we really eprcheate it. I learnt that there is a kind of moss called spagnum moss and it soaks up water and helps the kauri tree grow. I wonder how much water dose a kauri tree need each day? Holly.M

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  11. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:12

    Thank you Ron for teching me more than I ever did befour.You tolled us that the Kade tree has a speshel tep of moss called Spagnum moss.....It wunld sake up water when it rains.I woned how the kode tree lives for thoosens of yers.
    from SKT

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:27

      Kauris have evolved to survive above all other plants. They grow up stealing all the sunlight from other plants, and so plants around them cannot survive- survival of the fittest.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:13

    Thanks Ron, you gave us lots of knowledge about the kauri and your bush.
    Ron told us that the spagnum moss could suck up the water from he ground like a spunge.
    He also told us that on the kauri bark that lots of little plants live on it.
    Know I'm wondering how much water can spagnum moss carry

    Damar E

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:28

      Hi Damar
      A good handful of spagnum can easily hold half a cup of water as long as it has rained recently.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous18 November 2016 at 06:35

      Thank you Ron for answering my question.
      Damar E

      Delete
  13. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:15

    Thank you so much ron for coming to talk to us about kauri trees i learnt that there was a tree which was berried in the swamp.Now i am wondering what is a swamp?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:28

      A swamp is low lying ground that water cannot escape from.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:16

    Hi I'm Aleeza I loved you coming in thanks a lot I learnt a lot of things like the spagnum moss helped the tree get water I'm really interested in that moss
    I wonder how many kauri live in Auckland
    From Aleeza

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:29

      Probably thousands, but mostly juveniles, or young Kauri, nothing big like Tane Mahuta.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:19

    Thank you Ron/Bibas grandad for coming to visit in room 5 we loved it how you got to stay at room five for 30 to 50 minutes. It was realy interesting for me and for room five. When you told us about Cathren kauri tree that was in the swamp when you taled us how old it was I thought that you could actually TELL!

    JAD

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  16. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:21

    Thank you Ron for coming into our class room and teaching us about the Kauai tree and other nature in your bush. I have lent a lot about spagnum moss I can not be leave it can full up harf A cup of water i all that talls me that it can sore alto of water.

    Frankie mortimer

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  17. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:21

    I'm wondering where you get the moss from and how much it can carry.

    ReplyDelete
  18. kip smart7 November 2016 at 14:21

    thankyou ron for coming in to talk with us about the kauri tree
    how tall is the wrecker kauri tree
    his oldest tree was 400 years old
    how is a moss like a sponge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:30

      Rika Kauris are like the teenagers of Kauri- they grow up to 30 meters tall.

      Delete
  19. Evie Ford7 November 2016 at 14:29

    My thank you: Thank you so much for coming in to our classroomand telling us about your bush and Kauai trees.
    Question: If you put 4 tana mahuta together and got a lot of men to stand around how many men would that take?
    Something interesting you told us: that spagnum moss helps Karui trees drink, spagnum moss collects water. Evie F

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16 November 2016 at 17:32

      It might take 20 men to go round the base of Tane Mahuta so if there were 4 trees-
      20 x 4=??

      Delete
  20. Anonymous7 November 2016 at 14:32

    Thank you for teaching room 5 about kauri trees.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous14 November 2016 at 14:46

    I can't believe it takes 17 kids to find how big Tane Mahuta is?

    And thank you so much for coming Ron and telling us interesting facts.

    ReplyDelete

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