Players move through four Minecraft-created biomes – urban, drylands, woodlands and wetlands - identifying conservation challenges in each of these ecosystems and learning how to problem solve to overcome them and make positive change. Practical skills and knowledge gained through the game can then be applied to conservation mahi in their own backyards and communities. These burgeoning conservationists get to learn about everything from how to grow pocket forests, create habitats for threatened species, care for waterways, and learn about responsible pet ownership.
“We’re thrilled to be part of this innovative international collaboration. It really brings the world of conservation and the inextricable inter-connectedness of wildlife, people, and the environment alive and into the hands, devices and keyboards of millions of educators and students,” says Auckland Zoo’s conservation learning and community manager, Rachel Arnold.
“It is fun, engaging, and educational and is in an accessible format that today’s tamariki have grown up with. Through collaborating with our zoo colleagues, Microsoft AUS/NZ and Minecraft Education’s partner Team Workbench, we’re also excited the game’s wetlands quest puts the focus on Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique biodiversity and conservation challenges. While over the past 150 years, more than 90% of wetland ecosystems have been lost or degraded by agriculture and urban development, there’s a lot of good restoration mahi happening, and opportunities to do and achieve so much more.
