News & Events

On a sunny day in September, OLG hosted 140 schoolchildren from Otatara School for their Conservation Week event. Plants had been supplied by the Southland Community Nursery and were trailered onto site by Barry. As the trip was a relatively short one, Barry had also predug the holes, so planting was as easy as possible, but the plant guards still needed to be put on so it was a full-on hours activity. The schoolchildren seemed to really enjoy sloshing around in the wet ground and getting all those wet tolerant plants into their new home. The planting was near the pond and interpretation signs so if you are walking from Bryson Road its about half an hours walk from the public entrance to Bushy Point. Thanks to the school students, Otatara School’s Carla Werder, teachers and parents, Barry and Otatara Landcare Group Bushy Point volunteers for a very productive and enjoyable afternoon.

Chris

For Otatara Landcare Group

Where: Entrance off No: 5 Bryson Road (Estuary end)

When: Arrive 9.50 a.m. for a 10 a.m. start

FREE BBQ from 12 noon

One thousand plants are ready and waiting.

Help our community to grow a native forest!

What we need you to bring:

• Gardening gloves
• Spade
• Appropriate footwear and clothing for the conditions
• Drink Bottle

In full colour the Winter 24 Pigeon Post (PDF, 2.26 MB).

Recycling – all you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask!!

Hamish McMurdo, general manager of Recycle South, will be the guest speaker at the AGM of the Otatara Landcare Group. His presentation will be at 7.30pm, the first item on the agenda at Otatara Community Church Oreti Road.

Hamish will give a comprehensive update on the recycling operations of Recycle South including what can be recycled and what can’t be and why. There will be time for questions.

The Otatara Landcare Group AGM will immediately follow his talk.

Regards

Richard Johnson

Chair Otatara Landcare Group

Tree Releasing Saturday 3 February 2024 2-4pm and Wednesdays in February 6.30-7.30pm - please come along and help - details below

Saturday 3 February -2-4pm

The plantings from Tree Planting Day September 2022, particularly in the lupins below the lookout seat, are in urgent need of attention. Locating the trees amid the lupins is quite difficult in places, and lupins need to be cut back to (re)create light wells for the seedlings to survive.

The next priority is the series of 2022 plantings alongside the Totara block, where grass and bracken are competing strongly with the young trees, and hopefully these areas can also be addressed on the day. Various methods can be used to release the trees and suppress competing grass etc growth, as will be demonstrated on the day.

Please meet at the Bryson Rd entrance to Bushy Point (or walk along to the lookout).

Wednesday evening Tree releasing at Bushy Point – February and March 2024

Otatara Landcare Group is organising tree releasing sessions at Bushy Point each Wednesday in February, starting 7 February, and possibly extending into March, from 6.30-7.30pm, weather permitting.

Meet at the Bryson Rd entrance to Bushy Point (or walk along to the lookout and you’ll find us).

For either event Please bring:

shoes or gumboots suitable for working in long grass and lupins

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

secateurs and/or a small pruning saw if possible for working in the lupins

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

Please feel free to join the working bee at any stage, and only stay for as long as you can.

Please contact Douglas Black on 022 104 8661 for more information if required.