News & Events

Saturday 21 March 2020 - Southland Community Nursery Open Morning and Plant Sale – 10am-noon - 185 Grant Road Otatara Enable JavaScript to view protected content. or 03 2131161 (locally sourced native plants - hardy, shelter, forest, wetland and garden plants ($5 each in PB3 size pots, free plant with every 10 purchased). Photo MacFies taking a trailer load of plants for their project.

Wednesday 24 March 2020 - Otatara South Scenic Reserve Walk – the plants, the birds, trapping, history – meet 6.30pm Huru Huru Road entrance to the reserve. Leader Cathy McFie 03 2131267. Photos of last years evening.

A group of enthusiastic weedies tackled the Chilean Flame Creeper in Bowman Bush to great effect on Monday 27 January 2020. The invasive climber was pulled off trees, shrubs and ferns and prevented from smothering plants and from flowering and seeding. The annual outing has been running for over 10 years and the difference is amazing to see. Thanks to all involved and to Randall Milne (OLG) and Jesse Bythell (QEII Trust) for organising the evening and to Jesse for providing cake!!

Our annual Chilean flame creeper weeding night at Bowman Bush will be from 7pm-9pm on Monday 27 January 2020. Meet at Spence Avenue entrance to Bowman Bush with Randall Milne and Jesse Bythell. We will be hand pulling flame creeper so bring your own gloves, good footwear for off tracks, and your energy to help us rid the reserve of this pretty but invasive plant! Also bring along any pest plant questions for our expert weeders Randall and Jesse.

Our family event the Eco-Fun day is on Sunday 10 November 1pm-3pm. Park at 183 Grant Road carpark and follow the trail to the nursery Education Centre where you can pick up your children’s passports at 1pm and start the activities – pests, insects, plants, scavenger hunt, planting trees and measuring and pond dipping for critters. The trail will go from the Community Nursery to Bushy Point pond so wear gumboots, and if previous years are anything to go by, bring your raincoat too!

On 14th September 2019 the Otatara Landcare Group (OLG) celebrated its 20th year and two other important milestones. At Bushy Point – the planting of 30,000 native plants and the reaching of 15,000 volunteer hours.

On the Triple Celebration Day we not only planted 1000 plants by lunchtime but had a ceremonial tree planting for Russell Evans who passed away recently – his wife May planted a special totara tree and our new kereru mascot was named “Russell” in his honour. This was followed by a BBQ, the cutting of the cake by our All Black Living Legend Kevin Laidlaw, and children’s activities.

If you haven’t been to Bushy Point it’s a great walk - the Bushy Point Project is accessible to the public at all times with walkways and interpretation signs – access from Bryson Road.