On 26 November some of Woodlands School students came out to the nursery with teacher Heidi Wilcox to choose some native plants for their Outside Education Area near the school. They picked some colonising plants, a few canopy species, some grasses for their lizard area and some plants that can tolerate wet feet and some bird and insect attracting plants. Loading up the horse float was fun and some amazing “backing” by an awesome parent helper. The following day Bronwyn and I and Pat Hoffman from ES went out to help plant out with the whole school. Although it was a drizzly day, threatening rain the students were super keen to tell us all about their outside area – in fact as we got there one student went racing off to check their traps and came back with a mouse in the trap! We were shown by students established plantings, thanks to earlier help from ES, a track, a hut with lots of learning resources – some that the students had designed themselves – linking nature to all curriculum topics – science, maths, English, art – it was all very inspiring to see.
Other students came down the road from the school in class groups accompanied by many parents and all enthusiastically planted in the prepared areas and then covered the plants with guards to protect them from rabbits. Woodlands Principal Aloma Williams planted a special Olearia hectorii plant – very rare in New Zealand and Chris explained that unfortunately it doesn’t have a common name because it has never been common!
Woodlands students have previously visited the Community Nursery to learn all about native plants, they have been gifted a special place near their school to look after and enhance and the whole community seems to be behind the effort – the students take obvious pride in their area and are learning a whole lot about the environment in the process – and the fun they have in doing so is great to see. Earlier in the year they gained an Environment Award for their efforts – very richly deserved and a great example to other schools.
Chris and Bronwyn
Posted: 6 December 2019
A sunny day and along with a wonderful group of educators we connected with nature, smelling and touching the different leaves and flowers, looking at the baby apples growing on the apple trees, and checking out the pest traps – all before going on a walk around the pond. Kererū flew around us and landed in the nearby tree, giving us a great look at this majestic bird of the forest. After some morning tea at the hut, spotting an admiral butterfly and day flying magpie moth, we continued to use our senses to find all the objects listed on the sensory scavenger hunt list – try it at your place – See Activity Cards at: https://www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz/education-centre/activities/school-activities/. Back at the Education Centre the children explored the habitat panels and potted up some kōwhai seedlings, giving back to nature.
Bronwyn
Posted: 26 November 2019
We wandered through the orchard smelling and feeling the herbs and flowers, and watching the bumble bees. Following the signs we stopped and spotted the two kereru sitting high in the trees, the strawberries were seen and squiggly worms held. The pond track was followed and we used our sense of touch to feel the roughness of the cabbage tree bark and smoothness of the hebe trunk. Weta and slaters were looked at up close in the bug hotels, we had a break at the hut, listened to the birds and some of us spotted scaup ducklings on the pond before they hid away. Exploring the panel pictures, listening to a story about Kiri the Kereru who ate too much, and playing with the soft toy birds finished a busy morning.
Posted: 21 November 2019
Southland QEII Rep Jesse Bythell brought the QEII Board and staff from Wellington for a Covenant visit on a very cold blustery day. The visit was part of their three day meeting and the Board travels around the regions for its meetings and covenant visits. It was the second visit in so many weeks by some of the Board and staff as they had also attended the Southland Covenantors gathering here in early November. Other invited guests were Randall from ES, Christine and Tapuwa from SIT, Dallas from Pestbusters and Sheryll from ICC. How different the weather was for their two visits – scorching sun on the first, hail on the second!! It didn’t dampen enthusiasm however and after lunch in the Education Centre, and informal chats, the group accompanied Jesse and Chris around the covenant tracks including the track funded by QEII’s Stephenson Fund. A Hut inspection followed and a poke into the tall forest. There were lots of good questions, discussions and learnings before the group headed off to Bowman Bush Reserve also in Otatara.
The Rances restoration area was discussed at some length and below are some QEII Monitoring Photos taken from the same place from 2011, 2015, 2018 and 2019.
Chris
Posted: 20 November 2019
This class of learners have all signed pledges to be the kaitiaki of the scooter park area of their school, and they came to the Southland Community Nursery to learn about native plants that can be planted and how to plant. A matching activity around the plant nursery got them matching up a card to the plant and learning about how tall the species grow and what conditions they can tolerate or not – some like the shade while others like the sun! The diversity of native species was explored alongside thinking about what plants will be suitable for areas around the scooter park. Then the right way to plant a plant was demonstrated and practised – using those species that like wet feet in this wet area of the property. Planting the right way gives the plants the best chance of survival. Great helping mānuka class.
Bronwyn
Posted: 20 November 2019
