This interactive provides a quick start guide with key information to get started playing and facilitating Kiwi Kai’s virtual farm.
We recommend starting with the Quick start guide.
Select here to view the full transcript and copyright information.
This interactive provides a quick overview to help start playing and facilitating Kiwi Kai's virtual farm.
To use this interactive, hover over or click on the labels for links to information and videos about each part of the Kiwi Kai game, supporting articles, instructions and relevant links.
Transcript
Quick start guide
View this video for a brief overview of how to get started with Kiwi Kai’s virtual farm and online learning tool.
Transcript
Welcome to the Kiwi Kai online learning tool. Open the link to the farm simulation in your browser to begin.
View the welcome screens.
Register or log in to your account if you want to save your progress.
Otherwise, click on ‘Start without saving’ to begin.
Read and agree to the terms and conditions.
Customise your avatar’s appearance.
Welcome to being a farmer. You can now visit your habitats and start to look after your farm as well as the environment.
Video: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
General settings
View this video about Kiwi Kai's sound settings, terms and conditions and the help functions.
Transcript
Click on the settings icon, where you can find the sound settings and the terms and conditions of the simulation.
Video: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Notebook
View this video on using Kiwi Kai's notebook icon to find which taiao tokens and badges the player has collected and to access the glossary.
Transcript
Click on the notebook icon to view your achievements, badges, taiao tokens, character profiles and a glossary.
You can see your achievements and badges here.
View the taiao tokens you have collected.
Character profiles are also available in the notebook.
You can view a glossary here as well.
Video: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Calendar and progress bars
View this video on Kiwi Kai’s calendar and progress bars.
See your progress through the years and seasons. The small dots represent how much time is left in each season.
The bars around the calendar show how well you are doing on your farm, your money balance and positive action in your community.
Transcript
The calendar and progress bars are shown on the top of your screen. Time passed in the simulation, the current season and the task progress are shown in the calendar.
The bars around the calendar show your progress on the farm.
The butterfly progress bar shows how you’re going with manaaki te taiao – caring for nature.
The plants bar shows how you are doing with growing healthy food.
The people bar is about the progress in caring for the community – manaaki tangata.
The coins show your balance of money in the online tool.
Video: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research and The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Pātiki/paddock habitat
In the pātiki/paddock, you can grow crops and produce or raise livestock. Learn about food growing, animal welfare, pests, fencing, maara kai and food production.
Farm tasks and quest themes in Kiwi Kai's virtual farm include growing crops, the needs of living things, animal care and welfare, control of weeds, shelter belts, pollination and biodiversity in paddock edges, insect pests, disease management, monoculture versus diversity and more!
Related articles
- Learn more about pastures and paddocks in Pasture plants.
- Soil is a habitat provides background information about soil ecosystems and habitats in Aotearoa as well as information about soil biodiversity such as worms.
- Pollination and fertilisation
- Ruminant digestion
Related activities
Related media
Image: Public domain
Repo/wetland habitat
The repo/wetland habitat in Kiwi Kai's virtual farm hosts native species that are suited to live near water.
Here, you will learn about planting, weed and predator control, the protection of natural features and keeping the wetland healthy. Quest themes include fencing, invasive weeds, pollution and the protection of wetland.
Related articles
- Wetlands
- Wetland restoration
- He kōrero hei āwhina i te kaiako
- Repo (wetlands) – a context for learning
Related videos
- Whakapapa and biodiversity
- The importance of wetlands
- Healing repo
- Te ao Māori and repo
- Cultural indicators
- Wetlands in Aotearoa
- Pest plants
Image: Public domain
Awa/river habitat
In this section of Kiwi Kai's virtual farm, you’ll find river animals and plants.
Learn about riparian fencing, planting, mahinga kai and caring for rivers, streams and waterways.
Related articles
Related activities
Image: Public domain
Toa/shop
Sell any food or products you have produced in Kiwi Kai's virtual farm to the community here to gain money and rewards. Drag an item to the counter to sell a product.
Image: Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Ngahere/forest habitat
In the ngahere habitat of Kiwi Kai's virtual farm, you can learn about caring for forests and native animals.
Quest themes include introduced mammalian predators, control methods and resource use, fencing, weed control, forest biodiversity, formal protection of forests, soil, whenua and sourcing seeds.
Related articles
- Insects and forest ecosystems
- New Zealand native trees – an introduction
- Conserving native birds – introduction
Related media
Image: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato
Acknowledgement
The Kiwi Kai project aims to build an understanding of nature-friendly primary production in an engaging way for ākonga. This mahi has been produced with the support of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Curious Minds | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and many partners.
Kiwi Kai project partners and funders
The Kiwi Kai project has been supported by a wide range of partner organisations. It was funded by Curious Minds, New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research.
