News and Events

Native Plant Sale Sunday 8 April 2019

Sunday 8 April 2018 - NATIVE PLANT SALE – 10am-noon Southland Community Nursery, 185 Grant Road, Otatara. Contact Brian 2131161 evenings.

Posted: 31 March 2018

Waverley Kindergarten 15 March 2018

An eager busload of Waverley Kindergarten tamariki and adults arrived ready to explore the Southland Community Nursery. After doing a beach clean up at Oreti, their visit to the nursery started with kai time after they had walked through past all the apple trees to the education centre, following the nursery signs with the cabbage tree picture on it.

Exploration of the tunnel and opening the doors to find what lives in our environment and completing the big floor puzzles of the spider, weta and red admiral butterfly proceeded our walk out into the New Zealand native bush. We did the sensory scavenger hunt using our eyes, ears, hands and noses to experience nature. What a wonder to feel the roughness of the Cabbage tree bark and smoothness of the broadleaf. We also spotted lots of things made by insects – spiders webs and holes in leaves. Then it was back on the bus and back to kindergarten for some lunch.

Bronwyn

Posted: 21 March 2018

After school potting up – First Session 14 March 2018

For the Otatara school PRIDE award one of the clauses is to pot up 10 native seedlings and maintain them until they are ready to be used in a restoration project. I was approached by a year 6 student, which resulted in the Southland Community Nursery offering an “after school volunteer time” to replicate what we do on a normal volunteer Friday morning – which of course will easily meet the requirements of this award.

We had 9 Otatara school students attend our first session, where we potted up native cabbage tree seedlings, and processed cabbage tree and flax seeds (as to pot up seedlings you have to grow them first from seeds!). It was great to see the students engaged in learning how the community nursery operates and for them to take responsibility for what they are doing during this volunteer time. I am looking forward to our next session.

Bronwyn

Posted: 18 March 2018

Nursery Closed on Fridays

The Nursery will be closed on Fridays from 9 March 2018 until further notice

Workshops will be continuing as planned - please contact the person on the specific workshop poster for information- http://www.southlandcommunitynursery.org.nz/education-centre/activities/workshops/. The Jo Ogier Workshop
is fully booked.

For school bookings contact Bronwyn Graham [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

regards

Chris

Posted: 9 March 2018

Roslyn Bush Playcentre visit Thursday 8 February 2018

The Roslyn Bush Playcentre children and adults started their morning adventure walking through the apple orchard and vege gardens, stopping to check out the worms in the bath tub! Then it was a quick explore of the nature centre before heading out on a treasure hunt using our senses of touch, smell, look and hearing. We talked a lot about pests on the way around the pond, with many of the children already aware of what kind of pests we do not want in our forests – tumeke! We also potted up some kowhai seedlings, making sure the roots were down in the dark soil and the shoots were up. Scattering stones on the surface of the newly planted seedlings was fun and they knew that watering is needed to keep these precious seedlings alive. A bigger kowhai was taken back to the Roslyn Bush Playcentre to be planted – we look forward to hearing how well it grows!

Bronwyn