White Butterfly, Pepe Mā
Activity for tamariki
Together, we learn.
White Butterfly — Pepe Mā
Download the White Butterfly activity here (.pdf)
Pepe mā (white butterflies) have green caterpillars—anuhe kākāriki. They like to eat cabbages, cauliflower, and broccoli. Pepe mā are territorial. Territorial means that they will take ownership of a garden and guard it from other pepe mā. We can trick the pūrerehua (butterflies) to not come into our garden by making our own pūrerehua. This way they will know not to eat our veggies, because there are already pūrerehua guarding our garden.
Key learning words
Pepe mā White butterfly
Pūrerehua Butterfly
Anuhe Caterpillar
What you’ll need
A holey brassica leaf to show
Milk bottles, margarine containers of another easy to cut white plastic
Scissors
String
Sticks
Questions to start off the activity with
What have we noticed in the māra/garden recently?
What do we know about butterflies/pūrerehua?
What different pūrerehua are in the māra?
Different colours?
Can you find some leaves with holes in them?
What do you think has been eating this plant?
Can we find them?
Activity
Cut the plastic into flat pieces and then fold the pieces in half.
Get the children to draw the letter B on the top side of the plastic.
Using the scissors cut around the circle outlines leaving the centrefold connected.
While still folded cut a small triangle on the fold.
Using string thread through the hole and knot back on itself.
Tie the other end to a stick and put in the garden.