Once in a lifetime snorkel experience The Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) Te Kura Moana annual Poor Knights competition trip is sponsored by to Dive! Tutukaka and the Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation took place on Friday 13th May 2022. Students came from as far north as Kerikeri and as far south as the Caitlins in Otago. Students are selected based on their action projects undertaken and enthusiasm they show when studying & experiencing the marine environment. The national delivery of EMR is supported by the Tindall Foundation.

The twentieth anniversary Poor Knights competition trip in partnership with Dive! Tutukaka took place on the 14th May 2021 and included students from as far north as Waiharara and as far south as Rakiura - Stewart Island. Students are selected based on their action projects undertaken and enthusiasm they show when studying & experiencing the marine environment. In addition to the opportunity to represent their school or region for the EMR ACTION prize, we offer the EMR Ocean Art prize. The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation supports this special prize for young kiwis that have experienced the marine environment with EMR and display that passion and experience through art. The national expansion of EMR in the regions is supported by The Tindall Foundation Action projects included removal of invasive seaweed, citizen science fish surveys, shellfish monitoring, wetland restoration, a mufti day and ocean disco fundraiser, presentations to parents, upcycling waste to furniture, murals and marine artwork on a double decker bus! We had 34 students and 29 guardians from 25 schools from 7 regions of Aotearoa including Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Gisborne, Mountains to Sea Wellington, EMR Nelson and Rakiura (Stewart Island). Special guests included rangatahi/taitamariki who are in training with EMR thanks to the support of Foundation North and students from the first competition trip twenty years ago! This time Cameron Pene experienced the Poor Knights with his daughter Dylan -Rose. Since 2002, we have taken representatives from 351 schools, totalling 500 students on this annual trip! On board the vessel ‘Perfect Day’ our snorkel site this year was the stunning ‘Garden’s at Maroro Bay, part of the Poor Knights Islands that have been protected by no-take status since 1981. A commotion amongst the boat’s crew alerted Ben and Bryce Wigley from Kaingaroa School who were first on the scene for a glimpse of a sunfish before it headed for deeper water. They were treated to a face to face encounter with the charismatic fish and observed its interactions with a group of king fish. The cave snorkelling experiences were particularly memorable this year. The conditions allowed safe snorkelling through the dark passages of the caves where vast schools of blue maomao lingered. Thousands of two spot demoiselles were feeding on the surface. Participants were delighted to see scorpion fish, black angel fish, massive snapper and friendly sandagers wrasse. Here's to another 20 years of getting students experiencing marine reserves!

2020 EMR Poor Knights Trip Winners: West End School - Lillith Morris (Action Project) Coastal Taranaki School - Ben Gasson (Art Project) Our Taranaki EMR Coordinator got to join the winners for 2020 on the 19th Annual EMR Poor Knights Trip so made this fun and insightful video montage of the main activities they got to experience and fit in to only a few days while in Tutukaka, Northland! Activities included: Snorkelling, boat tour, coastal walks, beach adventures, micro-mollusc hunt, action project presentations and shared meals. Music: "Teach Me All" by Sonic Delusion - I do not own the rights to this music but have permission to publish in the project.

This year marked the 18th Annual Poor Knights competition trip. With the support of The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation and Dive! Tutukaka we were able to get 33 rangatahi and their whanau from around Aotearoa out to Cave Bay, Tawhiti Rahi in the Poor Knights marine reserve. Students were chosen on their action and art projects from term 4 and 1 last season. Special thank you to the supporters who helped make this event possible, Whangarei Coastal Commuters, Matapouri Holiday Units, Schnappa Rock and Darryl Torckler. Filmed and edited by Lorna Doogan. Music 'No Sense Unfiltered' - Pitch Black

Our 17th annual Poor Knights trip was a success with a full boat on Perfect Day heading to Blue Mao Mao Arch. Huge thank you to The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation Foundation for allowing us to bring students and their parents from Otago to Kaitaia. Thanks to Dive! Tutukaka for getting us out there and for sponsoring the students trip out. Darryl Torckler Photographer for taking amazing images of the students. Schnappa Rock Restaurant & Bar for the beaut dinner, Matapouri Holiday Units for the lovely accommodation and to Whangarei Coastal Commuters for getting us from A to B. We can't run this trip without the National Support of the The Tindall Foundation, Foundation North, the Department of Conservation Community Fund, Lotteries Grant Board, Wettie Spearfishing & Wetsuits and the Whangarei Lions Club. Filmed and edited by Lorna Doogan. Additional footage by Vince Kerr. Music 'Summer' and 'Creative Minds' by Bensound.com

Experiencing Marine Reserves - EMR had our 16th Annual Poor Knights trip on Friday the 26th of May 2017. With the sponsorship of Dive! Tutukaka and The Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation we were able to take 59 students and parents from Otago to the Far North to the beautiful Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve off the coast of Tutukaka, New Zealand. The students that produced the best action projects and artworks were chosen from each region. EMR has national sponsorship from The Tindall Foundation and the Department of Conservation Community Fund. Northland and Auckland delivery support thanks to Foundation North. Special mention to Whangarei Coastal Commuters, Schnappa Rock Restaurant & Bar, Darryl Torckler Photography, Rent-A-Cheepy and Hilton Leith. Wetsuits provided by Wettie Spearfishing & Wetsuits. Filmed and edited by Lorna Doogan. Music 'He Rā Ki Tua' by Allana Goldsmith Music and Ed Taylor. www.allanagoldsmith.com

What a beautiful day for a snorkel! 32 action project & art prize representatives from Kaitaia to Otago came out the Poor Knights Islands on Perfect Day, along with their caregivers! Huge thank you to the Bobby Stafford-Bush Foundation and Dive! Tutukaka for making this day possible. Massive thanks to The Tindall Foundation, Foundation North and the DOC Community Fund for supporting EMR delivery throughout our regions. Video edited by Lorna Doogan. Music by Paua Nation www.pauanation.bandcamp.com - Click the HD tab.