For once the weather really came to the party! This time we were sheltering from the sun in the Nature Centre rather than from the rain! Sixty-five people came and helped us celebrate our special birthday. There were tours of the restoration area bush tracks, activities for children centred around natural materials – boat building, flax weaving, wreath making, stone painting and later kite flying!
In the Centre there was lots of discussion and networking, renewing of friendships and making new friends.
Honorlea was doing a roaring trade with her Kakariki Natural Body Products and Rob Tipa was showing his book “Treasures of Tane” and taking names for a workshop he will run at the Education Centre on Saturday 26 January 2019.
Geoff was helping on the native plant sales table while Lesley was on the raffle and selling Heritage Tomatoes!
At around 3pm MC Mark Oster shepherded everyone into the Nature Centre where Chris said a few words and thanked some of the people who had been significant contributors to the success of the centre and nursery. Those people were recipients of the “Treasures of Tane” Book, courtesy of the Nursery Trust.
- Brian – the support and inspiration for the whole venture (and the love of my life of course)
- Bronwyn, who had helped with nearly all of the 5000 or so schoolchildren who had attended over the past 5 years.
- Linda and Ray who’s ongoing support for the Nursery had meant it was in very good hands even while I was away overseas for a few months this year (and other years!).
- Dawn Patterson and Maggie Elford - our longest serving volunteers at the Nursery
- Honorlea Mangion and Lesley Catterall - most enthusiastic newcomers!
- Mark Oster - my education mentor, inspiration and all round good bloke!
Mark then got his own back by praising the Community Nursery and Education Centre project’s success and their “can do” attitude of just getting on with it. He encouraged others to do the same and wished the Nursery well for the next 5 years!
Then Bronwyn, Brian and I “cut the cake” (another fabulous Bronwyn creation) and we all tucked into the wonderful food people had brought along followed by more boat building, kite flying in the paddock pattern (which is in the shape of a 5!), reminiscing, chatting and looking forward to the future.
It was a great day of celebration, thanks to everyone who attended.
Chris
Posted: 3 December 2018
The 5th Birthday of the Education Centre is going to be a fun day. Starting at 2pm with activities for children and tours of the ponds, bush, nursery and Education Centre. At 3pm we will cut the Birthday Cake and have afternoon tea. We are lucky that Honorlea will be bringing her Natural Body products for sale, and we will have a special guest Rob Tipa who will be bringing his fantastic new book “Treasures of Tane” – all about the traditional uses of native plants. Books will be for sale on the day and we have also lined up Rob to do a workshop here on Sat 26 January 2018 – so sign up for that too. You will also notice a new pattern in our paddock – design courtesy of Bronwyn and the actual work done by Barry and Ray (with a little help from Mark!!). Stewart Island Flights and Martin Catterall kindly took the photos for us – and wow doesn’t it look amazing! See you there, all welcome (including those who have never visited before) – bring some finger food for afternoon tea to share.
Chris
Posted: 26 November 2018
Glenrose Pippins came to visit on the evening of 26 November 2018. Studying their Wildlife badge they were keen to learn about an endangered animal and what we can do to protect it, go bird watching and find out what animals live in our neighbourhood and help out at the Nursery.
On the way from the orchard to the Nursery we saw a tui, two piwakawaka (fantail) and two kereru (native pigeon). At the Nature Centre we looked at endangered birds, birds that live in the wetland (harrier, white faced heron, shag, kindfisher and ducks) and highlighted our local favourite endangered bird, the fernbird – a secretive wetland bird that nests near the ground and are threatened by loss of their wetland habitat. Luckily we have our own created wetland they have made their home and are nesting in the absence of predators. At the pond we fed Donna the duck and saw swallows and wild mallard ducks. At the pond Liam pulled the nets out of the pond and transferred the koura (freshwater crayfish) in it to a tank so we all got a good look. The group then helped out in the nursery by potting up 60 makomako (wineberry) seedlings into small pots. It was a very productive and interesting evening – thanks Rachel and Glenrose Pippins!
Chris
Posted: 26 November 2018
Robyn Gamble brought a group of Busy Bodies to the nursery on Thursday 22 November and I am pleased to say the weather had much improved. We had a leisurely walk through the orchard and veggie gardens and then explored the worm farm made out of an old bath. The children marvelled at these little recyclers chomping their way through the veggie scraps, and had fun gently holding them. After putting them back into the dark we went straight down to the pond area – Donna the resident duck was there, and we looked at the pondlife that had been caught in the trap. The smell from the cabbage tree flowers was very strong and tui’s were taking nectar from the flax flowers. In the Nature Centre the children enjoyed the wetland tunnel and learning about insects by doing the big butterfly and weta jigsaws
Chris
Posted: 26 November 2018
“We’ll be coming rain or shine” said Wendy McLachlan head teacher of Lindisfarne Kindergarten. So we knew they would be well prepared for the Southland weather on Tuesday – and it was indeed cold, wet and wild! But after walking through the orchard, exploring the Nature Centre and having morning tea we all headed out to do a scavenger hunt around the pond using our senses – eyes, touch, hearing and smell. We were also lucky that at the pond there were some interesting critters caught in the nets – dragonfly larvae, backswimmers, beetles and koura to name a few. We took the pond creatures back to the Nature Centre for a closer look and did some of the big floor jigsaws as well as more exploring in the wetland tunnel and a kiwi song with actions. The group closed by singing a lovely Waiata to Bronwyn and Chris.
Chris
Posted: 26 November 2018
