Otatara Landcare Group and Kiwi Conservation Club’s Bushy Point Eco Fun Day, 5th November 2017
We were rather pleased to have the Education Centre at the Southland Community Nursery to shelter us from the horizontal hail, sleet and rain that began right on our event start time! At the education centre we identified pests that we don’t want to see in our forest and bush areas - ferrets, possums, weasels and stoats, and used ‘beaut bug ID cards’ to name the bugs we had examples of. It was great to have close up looks at these important creatures in our forests.
Then the weather eased and we headed out to the Bushy Point Reserve to the tune of fernbirds singing and rolling thunder! Along the track we had to spot 10 things that were not supposed to be there (including a spoon and a toothbrush!!). This got us really looking at what is around us. Then we got to the tree planting area where we planted some new trees. We measured both the height of the trees and the tamariki, and re-measured the heights of those trees planted over the last two years that we have been holding the ECO Fun Day event. One makomako (wineberry), which was planted in December 2015, is now over 2 1/2 metres tall!! (Measuring it was difficult!).
By the time we got to the pond the sun was out. A few made a boat to float, and we looked for different pond critters. We found water boatman, tadpoles, damsel fly larvae and other insect life. There were fun games and a scavenger hunt around the pond area, as well as the simple enjoyment of being in the outdoors. On the way back to the Southland Community Nursery we viewed a freshwater koura netted from the pond there. A great day.
A big thanks to all the helpers (especially those out at activities at Bushy Point when the hail etc pelted down!) and the families who contributed to this being a great event. Bronwyn
Posted: 5 November 2017