Community Nursery News May 2023
The Community Nursery will re-open for volunteers on Friday 26 May 23.
While Brian and I spent most of May away on a road trip, we did have a few events at the Community Nursery before, during and after!
SERN Autumn Field Trip to Bushy Point and Rances
On Saturday 29 April the Southland Ecological Restoration Network visited Bushy Point and Rances, finishing the day in the Education Centre – read all about it here https://www.sern.org.nz/news/sern-autumn-field-day-bushy-point/
Growing plants – seed sowing and cuttings at the Southland Community Nursery
On Thursday 11 May 23, JHC students followed the process of preparing seeds – sowing seeds – potting up seedlings – to seeing full grown plants ready for planting, as well as learning about propagation through taking cuttings. We separated the seed from kahikatea berry flesh, and used tools such as wood blocks, our thumbs and nails to sow our prepared seeds and give growing seedlings more room to grow in bigger pots. It was great to get hands on learning about how the New Zealand native plants that are being planted at the Waihōpai restoration site are grown.
Bronwyn Graham
Environmental Kinship Workshop
On Saturday 20 May the Community Nursery Education Centre hosted a group of 30+ primary and early childhood teachers at a workshop facilitated by Dr Anne Meade from Wellington focused on the Children’s Environmental Kinship Guide.
Anne is one of the 6 co-writers of the guide who come from all around the globe - Environmental Kinship International. The guide has 4 major components - Learning About Nature, Learning In Nature, Learning With Nature and Learning For Nature. Teachers participated in two sessions outside in the calm and peaceful spaces using all their senses to explore, wonder and discover. They were also asked to think and look through the eyes of children and wonder about questions and comments they may have about nature in these surroundings.
The guide is strong on children developing environmental awareness that leads to an ecological identity and also concepts such as becoming or acting as change makers for the health of planet earth.
Kinship is based on the understanding that everything in the natural world is interrelated and that humans are a part of this as cohabiters. If you are interested in looking further into these guidelines go to www.environmentalkinship.org
Pam remarked “Hi Chris and Bronwyn, thank you so much for your support on Saturday. We really appreciated your help and we couldn’t have been in a better space for learning in, about, with and for nature. Everything was just perfect!”
Pam Wilson
Posted: 23 May 2023