News & Events

If we are down to Covid Level 2 some planting can occur but we will need people to register with Barry Smith before coming to site.

We have changed the date to Saturday 11 September 2021, numbers will be strictly limited and will have two sessions for which people can book a place.

Please contact Barry at Enable JavaScript to view protected content. to register your attendance with a preferred time slot - Saturday 11th 10: ~ 12:00 and Saturday 13:00 ~ 15:00

If we are still at Level 3 by that stage we will need to reschedule.

Kind regards

Otatara Landcare Group

We have changed the date from Saturday to Sunday 12 September 2021, starting at 10am and followed by a BBQ. Put the date in your diary today!

Otatara Landcare Group AGM - 19 May 2021 at 7.30 pm in the Otatara Community Church, Oreti Road. Followed by an illustrated talk by Lloyd Esler - History of the New River Estuary

On 13 April 2021 the Otatara Landcare Group hosted 150 SGHS students at Bushy Point as part of their Year 7 community break out days. The day included learning about pests, seed collecting and planting trees, and learning about birds in our forests. Otatara Landcare Group volunteers coordinated this with help from Mark Oster, as well as Environment Southland staff Walter Fieldes and Neville Parminter. While it was a bit wet at times, the girls were interested and enthused and had a lot of fun. Big thanks to those that helped with this day, and to the Year 7 girls for helping with the restoration of Bushy Point. OLG Chair Barry Smith did a great job overseeing the planting of almost 200 native plants. A few students are looking forward to the annual planting day at Bushy Point on Saturday September 11th – check out www.otataralandcare.org.nz/news-events/

16 March 2021 Ōreti Tōtara Dune Forest Guided Walk - see details (PDF, 1.25 MB)

Tree releasing at Bushy Point – Wednesday Nights 6.30-7.30pm

Otatara Landcare Group is organising tree releasing sessions at Bushy Point each Wednesday in February and possibly into March, from 6.30-7.30pm, weather permitting.

Meet at the Bryson Rd entrance to Bushy Point.

The plantings carried out on Tree Planting Day last September will be checked first, then we will move on to other areas where some seedlings still need releasing from encroaching grass etc if they are to survive and prosper. Various methods can be used to release the trees and suppress competing grass growth, as will be shown.

Please bring:

shoes or gumboots suitable for working in long grass

gardening gloves

clothing suitable for the expected weather conditions

a face mask if you are allergic to dust or grass seeds

safety (or other) glasses to protect eyes when weeding amid tall grass stalks

optionally, a pair of sharp garden shears suitable for cutting grass.

Please contact Douglas Black on 022 104 8661 for more information or to find out where we are working on the night.