Manuka and Ti kouka – Tuesday 26 March 2019
A very wet and bedraggled group of Year 3 and 4’s arrived at the Southland Community Nursery after walking through Bushy Point Conservation Area with Mr Esler. The rain had poured down all morning for them as they took a look out over the estuary, saw first hand the great restoration planting that is happening at Bushy Point, traipsed through the totara-matai forest remnant, and listened to Mr Esler explain the sand dune history of Otatara and how many possums there are in NZ.
The education centre at the nursery was a welcome relief for many as they peeled off their wet layers and had something to eat and explored all the fun displays at the nursery. Then we got to know all the classroom plants for Otatara School, using potted up specimens, looking closely at their leaves and leaf shape. Then we learnt how a forest grows and acted the process of succession out, with bare land being colonised and taken over by hardy colonising (or nursery) species of native NZ trees before taller tree species establish a canopy of mature forest species. Lots of new terminology to learn, great discussion about what ‘hardy’ is, what kinds of conditions plants can grow in, and a great way to learn about forests when it is pouring with rain! We also noted that trees don’t talk! There was wondrous pondering about how trees were first “planted” before people arrived – great questioning? Then we had a close up look at the seed capsules and tiny seeds from a manuka, how these might be dispersed and what manuka has been used and known for, giving it the name tea tree. The windows fogged up and the coldness set in, so it was early back to school for this group, but not until a few floor jigsaws had been done, the tunnel explored and the new drums tested!. We hope the sun shines for your next visit!
Bronwyn and Chris
Posted: 26 March 2019