Puketi Kids

This is your chance to experience Puketi Forest online! The Puketi Forest is an exciting and complex ecoystem. An ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment.

When we examine the physical environment that makes up Puketi Forest, we discover that Puketi's forest type is a diverse mixture of hardwoods, podocarps and the kauri. It is a subtropical kauri (Agathis australis) forest that covers 10,000 hectares and includes steep cliffs, plateau, swamps, streams and gorges and large meandering rivers.

Puketi Forest is home to New Zealand native trees tawa, rimu, kawakawa and totora, as well as one Northland's great treasures, the majestic kauri tree.

Now let's take a look at the different communities of organisms in the forest. We've included four virtual walks for you to take through the forest, so you can learn more about these communities:

• The Birds of Puketi
• A Twilight Encounter
• A Waipapa River Walk
• Predators—Rats, Stoats and Possums, Oh My!

As you take your online hike along the Puketi Nature Trail, you'll want to take note of the native plants and animals you encounter along the way. Look up and check out the forest's rich canopy. You'll find neat plants like epiphytes. You may even spot a few birds along the way!