On Monday 11 April 2016 Ross Ramsay brought 14 first year SIT Environmental Management students to do the one day course – Know Your Southland Natives - An introduction to botany and Southland native plants with Jesse Bythell and Chris Rance. The course is based on the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network (NZPCN) two day course but tailored for Southland species. All seemed to enjoy the mix of tutoring, exercises and outside time and very favourable feedback was received on all aspects. Thanks Ross for promoting this course to students in their first year and to Jesse for her endless enthusiasm and knowledge.
Posted: 12 April 2016
Free Teachers workshop with Ruud “the Bugman” Kleinpaste – 9.30am-11.30am Sunday 15 May 2016
KCC Bug Hunting with Ruud – 1-3pm Sunday 15 May 2016(KCC members only)
Booking for both events essential as numbers are limited.
Posted: 12 April 2016
On 21 March 2016, sixty “Year 5” students came to help out at the Community Nursery in Otatara. There were three activities – planting native plants, potting seedlings and collecting native seeds. All are jobs needing to be done at this time of year. Each group did all of the activities led by Chris, Bronwyn and Lesley with teachers Jena and Gillian and some willing parents lending a hand.
For planting, groups went “across the boundary” into Bushy Point to plant the edges of a ditch with 100 kohuhu, cabbage trees, Manuka, lemonwood and other hardy native species. These plants add to the 24,000 plants that have been planted in the Bushy Point project over the last 15 years.
The potting group helped to prick out manuka and kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium) seedlings from seed that the Otatara Year 4 classes had sown at last year’s visit to the nursery. It was a hive of activity in the Education Centre and a total of over 500 seedlings were potted up by the three groups.
Then, on to seed collecting where a whole array of native seeds were “discovered” hiding amongst the various shrubs from mingimingi (Coprosma propinqua) berries (yellow, white and blue), black flax seeds from pods, white cabbage tree seeds, Manuka pods (not quite ready to open) and sticky black kohuhu seeds.
It was a great day and the children seemed to have fun outside and thoroughly enjoyed doing the “work” - “We had a ball, the kids were highly engaged, made lots of connections to their learning last year and really enjoyed the hands on experiences” - Gillian Donnelly Year 5 Teacher, Otatara School.
Chris
Posted: 24 March 2016
After gale force winds during the week before this event, it was uncanny to have only very very light winds for flying our kites today. We had a lot of older children at KCC (Kiwi Conservation Club) today which was great to see and they all had fun making the kites and running around the koru maze to get them airborne. Then Alan set up the bubbles and we had heaps of fun shaping, chasing and popping bubbles, including having paper planes fashioned and flown through bubbles to make them pop! The fun continued with the challenge of making a boat entirely from nature to float on the wetland pond at the Southland Community Nursery and Education Centre. There were some awesome creations of different designs, sizes and shapes…..and they all floated! It was great to get out and about in nature and have some simple fun with family and friends.
Big thanks to Alan Admore for the kite making design and bubbles (bubble recipe - http://bubbleswow.weebly.com), and to Chris Rance for the use of the Southland Community Nursery and Education Centre. Awesome fun! Bronwyn Graham 2130017
Find out more about kcc - www.kcc.org.nz
Posted: 16 March 2016
Seed collecting is in full swing with two workshops and many other groups helping to do the task already this year. Seed collecting will be an activity we do through to May with new seeds becoming ready to collect each week. First was Clematis, red tussock, toe toe and Carex, followed by fruity seeds of wineberry and Coprosma, still to come koromiko, broadleaf and others. The key to seed collecting is to learn about the specific species and be sure you collect from the correct and not weedy species (and that is true of natives from other areas too – be sure you know what you are collecting and if you don’t, collect plant material as well so you can identify later). We are here to help with that too. To see the rough timing of seeds for different species follow this link. If you are interested in seed collecting come along on a Friday or ring Chris and we may be able to arrange a workshop to suit.
Posted: 7 March 2016
