After many years since the last moa was sighted on the South Island of New Zealand a sighting was made in Otatara recently!
A group of moa enthusiasts created a living sculpture at the Southland Community Nursery, Otatara on Friday.
The frame was made by Ray Jackson with typical kiwi ingenuity using number 8 wire and then a whole group of people, including visitors from the north east of England set about “clothing” the frame with cabbage tree leaves, native vines and native grasses.
The idea of the moa sculpture had been in the mind of Nursery Manager Chris Rance for quite a few years. “With increasing numbers of school groups and visitors to the Education Centre, the moa will be the focus for telling stories about New Zealand “land of birds” and of the special New Zealand plants that evolved and adapted to moa browsing, such as the iconic lancewood” – she said.
The idea of a living sculpture is also to give children the chance to add to the sculpture themselves as an activity when they visit.
To see the moa in the making check out the photos below
Posted: 28 January 2016
The Community Nursery and Education Centre are open for 2016.
For volunteers we are open Friday mornings between 9am and midday. Come and join the crowd of enthusiastic volunteers, help with nursery tasks and take away some native plants for free in return. Dont forget to bring something yummy to share for morning tea.
For schools and pre-schools please note that the Education Centre and facilities will only be available on Mondays and Tuesdays - so to avoid disappointment, please book your visit well in advance. To see some of the resources and facilities available Activities and to see the range of schools visiting the Centre see News and Events. We have lots of exciting outside the classroom nature activities to suit your needs so please email or phone to discuss.
The Education Centre is offered free to schools (donations gratefully accepted) but if you want to help fund the Centre, consider purchasing some native plants from the nursery at $5 a plant.
We will soon have a programme of workshops to offer - please keep looking at the News and Events section of the website to see whats coming up.
Posted: 19 January 2016
A happy end to the year with the Community Nursery Christmas Breakup on Friday 18th December.
We wish you a happy Christmas and will look forward to catching up in the New Year.
With best wishes
Chris and Brian
Posted: 21 December 2015
The wind rain and hail didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for the eco-fun events on Sunday 13 December 2015! The event was run jointly by the Community Nursery, Otatara Landcare Group (www.otataralandcare.org.nz) and Kiwi Conservation Club (www.kcc.org.nz).
While the venue for most of the activities may have moved inside the Education Centre building, there were enough fine breaks to still get outside and into Bushy Point to plant a tree, do a scavenger hunt and sail the boats. Pond dipping included finding tadpoles and koura which were taken back to the Education Centre for a close-up look.
Other activities inside the building included the wineberry verses elderberry and native plants quiz, identifying weta’s, spiders and huhu beetles, picking out the stoat from the weasel and major boat building activity. Each activity was rewarded by a stamp in the Eco-passport. The education Centre certainly proved its worth as a back-up venue for such events in the future. Thanks to everyone involved - the organisers and those who braved the weather to participate!
Posted: 14 December 2015
For our final event of 2015 come along and help us celebrate a very successful year. Bring along some yummy food to share and help make decorations for the Christmas tree. Parking at 183 Grant Road car park and follow the Community Nursery signs to the Nursery and Education Centre. Anytime from 9-noon - with morning tea around 10.30am. See you there. Chris
Posted: 14 December 2015
