Bushy Point guided walk with Botanist Brian Rance is part of the Nationwide Day of action against the present Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill.
Bushy Point, as Conservation land without a status, is exactly the sort of land the Government could sell off under this proposed Bill. The Otatara Landcare Group and community have been planting and controlling pests on this Public Conservation Land for over 25 years. Join us to celebrate the progress that has been made and oppose the Bill that will elevate “Economic Interest” above “Conservation” in the Conservation Act!
For more information read – “New Zealands Conservation Jewels are not for sale” – by Southland’s Robin McNeill and Allan Brent Federated Mountain Clubs
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-press/20260629/281702621439771?srsltid=AfmBOoppjj-21c1WTQKlRfxLCDN9gialSDJDNUVPY6PLZ4DFpL5dLVqU
If you havent been to Bushy Point for a while below are a few photographs which show the progress made and what is at stake.
Meet at Bryson Road (Otatara) entrance to Bushy Point at Noon (bring your lunch). The walk will take about an hour.
Chris and Brian
Posted: 9 August 2026
After a flurry of activity at the Nursery in June, and a number visits and planting events, we are closing the Nursery for winter on Friday 27 June 2026.
While volunteer numbers remain high, there is less nursery work to do and we all need a winter break, so we can come back fresh in springtime (well, we do, in our 30th year of running the Nursery!).
Lots of people wonder, or ask, where do the Nursery plants go? – so I made a quick list of some projects – Kowhai Reach, Bushy Point, Oreti Totara Dune Forest, Thomsons Bush, Woodlands School, Waihopai planting, Otatara School, Maloneys and other QEII Covenants, Castledown Wetlands, Citizenship Ceremonies for ICC and SDC coordinated by Multicultural Society, and lots of individuals – including quite a few Otatara subdivisions! And our own place with new pond plantings taking place over recent Fridays. For those here last week we were entertained again by a kingfisher on the “Bittern” and recently lots of gorgeous waxeyes and fantails.
We will have a Break-up on Friday 27 June, so bring your best baking. There will be some work to do but more a social get-together and a celebration of what we have all done this season.
We cant underestimate the great networking and socially uplifting enthusiasm everyone gets from getting together, doing work together and having fun together, as well as growing a lot of native plants – all in a super natural environment.
Brian and I would like to personally thank everyone who has helped out this year and look forward to your return in springtime. We will still be available for queries and advice so please email or call (Chris 021660361) if you need anything or want to order plants for spring.
Chris and Brian
Posted: 21 June 2026
Friday mornings always have a diverse range of activities and at the end of May we were starting propagation by cuttings, planting more pond plants, translocating the bittern and apple pressing!
The apple pressing in particular continues a tradition that started with our good friend Malcolm McKenzie bringing along his wonderful wooden apple press – we had many good community days with Malcolm and we fondly remember him as we continue these events. There are a number of “blast from the past” photos below remembering good people and good times!
Now, we borrow Russell and Bronwyns state of the art apple press, but there is a catch. There is no chipper, so apples need to be prepared by freezing (and defrosting) ready for pressing and the press works hydraulically and so is much easier to operate. On the Friday we started after morning tea and continued after lunch pressing whatever people brought along. We, ourselves ended up with over 25 litres of juice which we use throughout the year. Cider apples were collected too and we look forward to sampling the resulting cider made by others!
In the next few weeks we will continue with propagation from cuttings, planting and other winter tidy up jobs.
Chris and Brian
Posted: 4 June 2026
Seed sowing is such a hopeful and positive activity to do.
Recently at the Community Nursery we sowed over 100 trays of different seeds, all in the promise of spring germination and producing the next lot of plants for people to put in the ground on their properties.
There were 50 large trays of the most common natives for restoration – kohuhu, tarata, mingimingi, cabbage tree, hebe, ribbonwood, broadleaf and wetland plants toe toe, red tussock, Carex secta, salt-marsh ribbonwood, to name but a few.
Then there are the “big trees” – with future years in mind we sow kahikatea, pokaka, totara, rimu, maitai and miro seeds. They take longer to germinate and grow and then need to be planted into a sheltered nurturing environment. And then there are the rarities – those threatened plants that will go into special places.
All the seed collecting, cleaning, preparation has taken from December to May and you need to be constantly on the lookout for seeds. If you miss the collecting then you have missed another year of having that opportunity. But it is also important to know what you are collecting – otherwise you might end up growing something like Coprosma robusta (a weedy northern native) instead of Coprosma lucida a local native.
Nursery seed sowing on Friday went extremely well – like a well oiled machine with Linda and Chris at the helm and 20 willing helpers. All the sown trays of seedlings were then put under protective covers to make sure the neighbours cats don’t think they are litter trays (there’s nothing worse!) and the mice and birds cant eat the seeds. The seed trays sit out all winter getting rained on and their winter chilling (natural cold stratification) and can be relied upon to germinate in September when the whole nursery process starts again for a new season.
Come along on a Friday morning if you want to learn more.
Chris and Brian
www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz
Posted: 2 June 2026
Over the past few weeks we have been busy in the nursery collecting the last few species of seed for the Nursery. The collecting of seeds is the first part, the cleaning and treatment is far more time-consuming and we are now at a stage when we will be sowing seeds on Friday 22 and 29 May. Come along if you want to learn about this aspect of propagation. Nursery Fridays have been very busy of late with up to 22 people attending. Thanks for all the great mahi!
See our seed list at https://www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz/restoring-your-patch/get-growing/seeds/
These species are those most commonly planted in new restoration projects. As an aid to anyone planting we have also had Janet Hodgetts create some factsheets/nursery labels with plant heights, tolerances and other characteristics to help people make good choices for their particular site conditions – see these at the Nursery or website under each plant in the planting lists eg forest planting list https://www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz/restoring-your-patch/know-your-patch/forests/forest-planting-list/
We recently spent a week in Alexandra where Brian and Chris Stowe from Riverton have been on a threatened plant adventure on the Otago Rail Trail on e-bikes! I was support vehicle! They were doing a repeat survey for a range of threatened plants including Carmichaelia curta, a rare native broom along with other notable rare plants along the trail. It’s a new way of doing a survey and was very successful – recording many new sites for rare plants from Clyde to Daisybank. Another highlight for me was hearing Jillian Sullivan speak at Oturehua, she is one inspirational woman! – see Jillians books on the Ida Valley in the Nursery library.
We have been collecting and dealing with apples for the last few months and will have Bronwyn and Russels Apple Press for a community pressing on the afternoon of 29 May. Bring your frozen apples – thoroughly defrosted for the afternoon. It will follow Nursery Friday morning activities so bring your lunch and the pressing will follow.
Ngā mihi nui
Chris and Brian
Posted: 18 May 2026
