A full month of activities started with Surrey Park Early Learning Centre spending a morning in the nursery – activities included admiring the apple trees, bush walks, learning about native trees and ending with a sing-a-long and lunch in the Education Centre.
The next visit was Mark Oster from Environment Southland’s Enviroschools project holding an “Environmental leaders” workshop where five students from various Southland enviroschools came and worked through exercises in the classroom and around the property.
On 6 April a “Pest Workshop” for community groups was held by Environment Southland and Department of Conservation – groups from Otatara, Bluff, Omaui, SIT and other individuals learned about poisons and traps and shared information about their own pest control operations.
Salford preschool attended on 8th April and enjoyed a range of activities from “bug hunting” to plant bingo and seed collecting, ending with activity songs lead by Bronwyn.
Aparima Student Hayden did work experience in the Nursery for a week during April
Posted: 7 May 2014
on Sunday 23 March an afternoon of bird related activities was held as part of Bird week (including finding a rat in a trap!), along with a photographic exhibition by Glenda Rees and a children’s bird painting competition.
The winners of the childrens painting competition were Bethany Hughes for her Albatross and from Surrey Park Early Childhood Centre – Isla Baron (kiwi), Siobhan Maguire (pukeko), Aden Dogherty (morepork) and Charlie Hegarty (kereru). They were awarded prizes from Forest and Bird and Department of Conservation.
The answers to the bird quiz – part of Southland Bird Week, organised by the Southland Natural History Field Club, were:
1) right
2) Buckhams
3) Closed
4) two
5) 24
6) Two takahe
7) Butterfly
8) Kaka
9) Sulphur-crested cockatoo
Posted: 31 March 2014
At the end of February we were fortunate to have the services of the Conservation Volunteers group based in Hokitika. Lead by Ashleigh, the group of international volunteers helped out for a day and did some great work – gravelling a track under Ray’s supervision, collecting seeds, digging flaxes and potting up native plants. Thanks guys, it was a great effort. Check out more about this volunteer group at www.conservationvolunteers.co.nz
Posted: 31 March 2014
Throughout a very busy March, Ulrike came to volunteer at our place. She adapted brilliantly to all the tasks at hand. As well as the Nursery, March is a busy month for harvesting home grown produce and so jobs included picking and juicing apples, picking and baking with blackberries, foraging elderberries and making elderberry and chocolate truffles, baking bread – as well as nursery activities, helping out with school groups, planting native plants. All done with an infectious enthusiasm and bright smile. We will miss you Ulrike!
Posted: 31 March 2014
A busy month has seen visits from Takoma High school from Washington State USA, Georgetown Kea and Cub groups (plant hunting and planting), Otatara School (bush walks, plant identification and potting seedlings), Home schoolers (pond dipping and bug hunting), Surrey Park Early Childhood Centre (sensory scavenger hunt and plant bingo).
On 14 March the Farm Forestry Association held their AGM in the Education Centre and on Saturday 15 March we hosted the Landcare Groups Networking Day with 48 people attending from across Southland.
Since the Nature Centre opened in November 2013 there have been over 500 visitors to the property (excluding the regular Friday morning volunteer sessions)
Posted: 31 March 2014
