8 December 2008 Group from University's Science Outreach Programme at work on Quail Island

Christchurch secondary students with a passion for ecology are spending today (8. Dec) on Quail Island in Lyttleton Harbour as part of on-going field work centred on the ecological restoration of the island habitat and its various species of plant and animal life.

The students, from Christchurch Girls' High School, Burnside High and Cashmere High, are giving up their own time to contribute to the work and the visit to the island has been organised for them by Lincoln University's Science Outreach Co-ordinator, Sue Unsworth. Lincoln University has been involved in the Quail Island restoration work for some years, working through the Quail Island Ecological Restoration Trust.

Among activities, the students will be looking at predator control and checking on how the gull, skink and native slug populations are progressing. They are using GPS technology to locate sites. If the tide is favourable they will also be checking on King Billy Island from where predators come across to Quail Island when the tide is out.