Community Nursery Jo Ogier Raffle Draw Friday 19 December 2025

A month has gone by since the last post and soon we will be closing for Christmas holidays. As well as closing day on Friday 19 December we will also be drawing the raffle for the Jo Ogier Karearea Print, so last few days to buy your raffle - Tickets are $5 each and you can pay at the Nursery (cash) or on internet banking – Sthld Community Nursery, bank account number 03-1355-0645582-00.

This month has flown by and we have had lots going on at the Nursery and Education Centre. Fridays have been busy with main activities watering, potting, pricking out and weeding. While we are mostly here over the Christmas holidays it would be good to have back-up waterers – so if you can spare a few hours over the holidays to help water the Nursery, that would be appreciated – email or txt Chris.

We have supplied quite a few native plants to schools and other groups for planting over the last month and look forward to doing some planting ourselves around our new pond over the holidays. Everything is flowering at the moment – from harakeke and cabbage trees to rata and it should be a bumper seed season. I had an encounter with a fernbird recently at Bushy Point, it was picking insects off cabbage tree flowers – not great photos but it was unusual activity to see. Also tadpoles in the pond and a bittern, kereru eyeing up our cherries, and our veggie garden is being taken over by poppies and they are glorious!!

We have had numerous Christmas end of year functions in the Education Centre and recently a “Film Night” on the big screen. We have also had a Conservation Dogs training day with Sandy King and two Harakeke workshop field trips to our property.

On Friday 19 December, bring your best baking and we will celebrate the end of the 2025 year and look forward to 2026. We will also draw the Jo Ogier print raffle!! The Nursery will re-open on Friday 16 January 2026. If you don’t manage to get to the Break-up day, best wishes for Christmas and see you in 2026!

Also in the last month was the SERN trip to Te Anau visiting lots of inspiring restoration places – see story and photos at - https://www.sern.org.nz/news/sern-spring-trip-te-anau-revisited-16-november-2025/

And finally, a walk around the Oreti Totara Dune Forest with Barry Smith on Wednesday 17 December 2025 - 7:30 pm This walk will take about an hour and is suitable for families. As this forest belongs to the Native Forest Restoration Trust, no dogs are allowed. No need to book just turn up, entrance at 348 Oreti Road - https://www.nfrt.org.nz/reserves/oreti-totara-dune-forest/

For other Otatara news see the latest Otatara Pigeon Post - https://www.otataralandcare.org.nz/news-events/the-summer-pigeon-post-is-here-in-full-colour/

Chris and Brian