Apple Pressing is coming up – Friday 8th May 2015 at the Community Nursery Education Centre -1pm-4pm. Malcolm McKenzie will be here again this year with his cider press, so take advantage of this opportunity – and for $2 you can press your own apples or help someone press theirs.
A recent foraging trip was very successful and we didn’t take all the apples (or walnuts). It’s a great day out for the family – a road trip with a purpose and there’s nothing like getting something for free! Go to Gore/Tapanui country roads (you may also see Robert Redford!) or Queenstown way for great foraging. Ray’s designer foraging pole makes the job easier (is that cheating?), but there are always apples on the ground too.
The apples can be frozen and taken out of the freezer a few days before the event. Freezing the apples breaks them down and they don’t have to be chipped first, just pressed. By freezing your apples you get more juice and a clearer juice. If you come along to press your own apples please bring enough plastic containers to put your juice in.
Posted: 27 April 2015
Enhance your gardens, bush, attract native birds, create a wetland with very affordable native plants grown from locally sourced seed and cuttings. Free advice on your planting situation.
Southland Community Nursery, 185 Grant Road, Otatara.
1pm-3pm - contact Chris 213 1161
Posted: 30 March 2015
On 17th March 2015, fourty keen children, parents, helpers and teachers came to the Community Nursery to learn about growing native plants. The group learned about and collected seeds from kohuhu, manuka and mahoe, potted cabbage tree and broadleaf seedlings into tiny pots and then chose some larger native plants to take away to the Waihopai walkway. At the Waihopai, the children were met by Environment Southland staff who helped them plant cabbage trees, manuka, toe toe and other species along the river. This area would be looked after by Lees St children and so the whole circle of growing and planting and caring for the plants continues into the future. Well done Lees St for a great learning experience and thanks to Maggie for helping with the group at the nursery.
Posted: 30 March 2015
Over two days (24 and 25 March 2015), Lee and Heather, teachers from Te Kura, the Correpondence School based in Wellington, welcomed 30 pre-school children, their parents and siblings to a get-together at the Southland Community Nursery. Children had come from all over Southland and Otago and the aim of the days was to foster knowledge and an appreciation of the natural environment as well as networking with other children and their families. Lots of activities were arranged including duck feeding, scavenger hunts around the bush tracks, leaf bingo, potting seedlings, story-telling, jigsaw making and many other activities. The koru maze was a big hit on day one when the sun was shining! Thanks to Lee for organizing the days. For more information about Te Kura and its distance learning programmes - www.tekura.school.nz
Posted: 30 March 2015
A group of 10 children and accompanying parents joined Bronwyn, Chris and Edith for a bush walk on Thursday 26th March. Although the weather was drizzly, the group were well dressed for the occasion with coats and gumboots! We were met by Donna, her ducklings and an increasing number of wild (and hungry) ducks at the pond! They must be the most well fed ducks in the whole neighbourhood! We did the sensory scavenger hunt looking for an assortment of coloured, textured, scented things along the track, explored the “hide” and looked for insects, frogs and lizards. Back at the education centre we potted up seedlings and had morning tea before the group meandered back to their cars and headed for home.
Posted: 30 March 2015
