We will be closing the nursery for winter on 22 July 2016 – re-opening late September. To celebrate the end of season (and it’s actually my birthday!) and look forward to spring come along, bring some morning tea, have a chat and catch up with friends.
Posted: 14 July 2016
We have some great workshops coming up at the Community Nursery – see below. For Apple pruning and grafting workshops bookings are required – first in first served. Please book by emailing Chris at [Enable JavaScript to view protected content] with the workshop name in the subject line.
Apple Pruning Workshop with the Guytons at Otatara – Sunday 24 July 2016 (morning). Booking Essential (Limited to 20 people,$5)
Apple Grafting Workshops with the Guytons at Otatara – Thursday 22 September 2016 (afternoon) and Saturday 24 September 2016 (afternoon). Booking Essential (Each workshop limited to 10 people - $20 including a grafted tree. More grafted trees to purchase on the day $5 each).
Bee Friendly Workshop for families with Southland Bee Society – activities for children, bee advice, planting for bees – Sunday 25 September 2016 – 10am-noon.
The Nursery has had quite a bit of publicity lately
Read articles in the April 2016 QEII Magazine “Open Space” and in June 2016 “Kiwi Gardener”
Listen to our interview with Cosmo Kentish-Barnes on Radio New Zealand Country Life 24 June 2016
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/audio/201805798/southland-community-nursery
and a lovely interview with Malcolm Mackenzie
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/audio/201806669/looking-after-the-land
Posted: 4 July 2016
The second Workshop was as successful as the first with everyone who attended giving excellent feedback. The workshop commenced with Chris introducing Honorlea and the Community Nursery facilities. Honorlea gave an introduction about working with Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territories in Australia (a fascinating story in itself), then her training as a formulation chemist, and the course outline for the day. Each person then introduced themselves and another network of very interesting people was formed. First to be made were the moisturising bars, which take longest to set, then the lip balm. After morning tea a walk around the garden revealed native and introduced plants of use in body products, but more importantly the need to be able to identify any plant you plan to use – for food, for cosmetics or for medicinal use. The Community Nursery is an ideal place to learn about many plants and Friday morning volunteer sessions are one opportunity to learn as well as other specialist workshops such as foraging and plant identification.
After an amazing shared lunch, the session got more hands-on with everyone making their own products, choosing their own combinations of ingredients and essential oils to create their own salt scrubs and bath salts.
Another workshop is planned for Saturday 18 October 2016 so if you are interested in registering your interest email Chris.
Some comments from this and the May workshop are as follows:
‘very well run and informative, thank you for the day’
’Brilliant! thank you’
’We got more than $60 worth of product, learning, entertainment and lunch!’
’Was really a great workshop, thank you so much for offering your knowledge - was really fun’
’This was an awesome day, thank you so much’
Posted: 21 June 2016
It started on the Friday at the Nursery with preparations – hollowing out swedes, track tidying and star preparation!
Saturday dawned with a beautiful sunrise and I captured the first light hitting the bush - “our place”. Then it seemed to be a day of food preparation ready for the children’s KCC event at 5pm, organised by Bronwyn. Art, stories, quiet time, star gazing, toasting marshmallows and sparklers were some of the fun activities. The rain and the fact that we couldn’t see an actual star didn’t dampen the enthusiasm one bit – and proved the worth of the Education Centre again.
Later, friends came for our traditional swede carving for lanterns (thanks Beatty!), good food to share – from home-made mulled wine and cider (from our own apples), foraged fritters, scones and cakes. It is a time for reflection – remembering the good times of the year departed, and the not so good, the people who came and left during the year, rejoicing in last year’s harvest and looking forward to the new season, and sharing it all with friends and family. Chris
Posted: 21 June 2016
Rockdale Kindergarten – 13 June 2016
Rockdale Kindy were well prepared in gumboots and overtrousers – all set to “go bush” – Rockdale teacher and grandparent helper were joined by Nature Discovery teacher Wendy and Chris and Bronwyn. First job was apple picking – the huge “Monty’s Surprise” apples were plucked from the tree so that they didn’t get damaged by frosts. Monty’s Surprise is an eating/cooking apple, bred in New Zealand, which has very high medicinal properties (it’s one you could graft at the grafting workshops to be held in October at the Community Nursery). Next was Nature Centre discovery time followed by kai time. Then, exploring the bush – Wendy taking the lead through the dark, muddy and secretive tall bush – following the orange triangle trackmarker. A few mushrooms, some tangly vines, the seed collector, smelly plants and interesting patterns were found. The underfoot conditions made it like an adventure course – climbing over and under trees and through the deep mud of the kahikatea swamp forest. Chris
Roslyn Bush Playcentre – 6 June 2016
A bitterly cold frost added an extra layer of wonder as the Roslyn Bush Playcentre explored the community nursery. The children followed the signs through the orchard and stopped to watch a tui singing in one of the apple trees. Some apples were picked up and carried back to the education centre, and the children helped clear the autumn leaves off the track to better show the way through the trees. The worm farm was met with wonder and compared to their worm farm at Playcentre. After a puzzle and some kai in the education centre the group walked with Bronwyn partway around the pond, noticing the pest traps and tracking tunnels and using senses to explore the native tree species - smelling, feeling, and looking at the different leaves. We finished off by feeding the nursery ducks. There was a great sense of wonder as the children explored. Bronwyn
Otatara Preschool – 29 May 2016
A small group of energetic children came well dressed for the weather on Monday 29 May 2016 accompanied by two teachers. Eager to get ahead, they enjoyed the hide and the moa before racing around the track back to feed the ducks. In the Education Centre they did the big bug jigsaws before a song with Bronwyn. Chris
YMCA Early Learning Centre 23 May 2016
All weather gear was the order of the day on Tuesday 23 May 2016 – activities included the wormfarm, scavenger hunt, duck feeding. Inside the Education Centre the wetland tunnel with its hidden doors was a big hit with the children. Chris
Posted: 16 June 2016