Hope to see you all on our opening day. There will be lots to do!
During our closed period we have not been idle – apart from a holiday, we have been busy around the property – pruning apple trees, weeding and preparing veggie beds, watering cuttings. Brian and I have also been busy visiting properties and giving advice on restoration. At the Community Nursery we also hosted Jordan and SIT first year environmental students recently at the Nursery and Bushy Point. Also busy with planting days – Te Rere Penguin Reserve last weekend and Bushy Point coming up on Sunday 10 September where 1000 plants will be moving from the Nursery into the ground – no need to book just come along and help – details at https://www.otataralandcare.org.nz/
There is also a new display at the Community Gallery, Owaka Museum – “Humans in the Catlins – The Environmental Impact” – worth a look if youre in the Catlins from 2-29 September.
See you on Fridays 9am-noon
Nga mihi
Chris
Posted: 24 August 2023
Friday 7th July will be the last Nursery session before closing for winter.
The last month has been busy with seed cleaning and sowing and for the last couple of weeks propagating plants from cuttings. Also, various nursery fix-up jobs, weeding and building a bookcase for the Nature Centre. Brian and I have also taken the opportunity to visit lots of properties (of folks who come to the Nursery) in the last month to give advice on planting and restoration. It’s also been the start of plantings – like Barry Smiths 75th anniversary (no he’s not that old!) of the Southland Tramping Club with a planting at the Oreti Totara Dune Forest on 3rd dune, next is Te Rere Penguin Reserve planting on 19 August and then Bushy Point annual planting on Sunday 10 September. If you are interested in any of these planting events email Chris for more details.
This Friday (7 July) will be a chance to catch up before going into winter hibernation. Bring your best baking!!
We will aim to open again Friday 1 September 23
Chris
Posted: 5 July 2023
The Community Nursery will be open for volunteers each Friday morning until and including Friday 7 July 23. Sowing seeds and propagating plants from cuttings will be the main activities as well as cleaning up the Nursery for winter. On Friday 30 June there will be a Cuttings workshop for new and experienced people.
Chris
Posted: 13 June 2023
Sorry, due to unforseen circumstances, the Nursery will be closed to Volunteers on Friday 2nd June 23, we will be open on 9th June 9am-noon
If youre in Invercargill drop in to Kyla Cresswell Art Exhibition - see poster below
Lots of plants going out of the Nursery for the Tramping Club 75th Aniversary Planting at the Oreti Totata Dune Reserve on Saturday.
Chris
Posted: 1 June 2023
The Community Nursery will re-open for volunteers on Friday 26 May 23.
While Brian and I spent most of May away on a road trip, we did have a few events at the Community Nursery before, during and after!
SERN Autumn Field Trip to Bushy Point and Rances
On Saturday 29 April the Southland Ecological Restoration Network visited Bushy Point and Rances, finishing the day in the Education Centre – read all about it here https://www.sern.org.nz/news/sern-autumn-field-day-bushy-point/
Growing plants – seed sowing and cuttings at the Southland Community Nursery
On Thursday 11 May 23, JHC students followed the process of preparing seeds – sowing seeds – potting up seedlings – to seeing full grown plants ready for planting, as well as learning about propagation through taking cuttings. We separated the seed from kahikatea berry flesh, and used tools such as wood blocks, our thumbs and nails to sow our prepared seeds and give growing seedlings more room to grow in bigger pots. It was great to get hands on learning about how the New Zealand native plants that are being planted at the Waihōpai restoration site are grown.
Bronwyn Graham
Environmental Kinship Workshop
On Saturday 20 May the Community Nursery Education Centre hosted a group of 30+ primary and early childhood teachers at a workshop facilitated by Dr Anne Meade from Wellington focused on the Children’s Environmental Kinship Guide.
Anne is one of the 6 co-writers of the guide who come from all around the globe - Environmental Kinship International. The guide has 4 major components - Learning About Nature, Learning In Nature, Learning With Nature and Learning For Nature. Teachers participated in two sessions outside in the calm and peaceful spaces using all their senses to explore, wonder and discover. They were also asked to think and look through the eyes of children and wonder about questions and comments they may have about nature in these surroundings.
The guide is strong on children developing environmental awareness that leads to an ecological identity and also concepts such as becoming or acting as change makers for the health of planet earth.
Kinship is based on the understanding that everything in the natural world is interrelated and that humans are a part of this as cohabiters. If you are interested in looking further into these guidelines go to www.environmentalkinship.org
Pam remarked “Hi Chris and Bronwyn, thank you so much for your support on Saturday. We really appreciated your help and we couldn’t have been in a better space for learning in, about, with and for nature. Everything was just perfect!”
Pam Wilson
Posted: 23 May 2023
