Profile

Royal Society of N.Z. Primary Science Teacher Fellowship

Steven Poelman

Type: Primary science

School: Mount Biggs School

Programme: Going Green: Environmental Science

Host: Massey University –Ecology Department

Subject: Environmental Science

Region: Manawatu

Description:

Steven Poelman is a primary school teacher who has spent 12 years in mostly small rural schools including his present one, Mount Biggs School an environmental school near Feilding.

He is hosted by Associate Professor John Holland from the Ecology Department at Massey University with Senior Lecturer Dr Marion Mackay as a mentor. Steven is interested in finding out about things relating to restorative conservation involving native fauna and flora. He is presently finding about what different research projects ecology department members and graduate students are embarking upon and where possible he will get involved to further his understanding of science as well as develop hands on skills that will enhance both his knowledge in and out of the classroom.

So far he is appreciative of the rigorous thinking processes involved, including how searching for answers to ecological problems tends to generate more questions than solutions. He is just beginning to also obtain practical opportunities like plant identification of epiphytes within native forest remnants and is looking forward to similar (and differing ) exposures involving the interaction of animals, such as native birds and insects. Learning new things has undoubtedly been a highlight for him so far and there’s a lot more to come!