Exploring with Kiwi Conservation Club (KCC) 18 March 17
From the Southland Community Nursery we wandered past the pond and through plantings. We first stopped to collect some seed from the mingimingi (Coprosma propinqua) finding the little blue berries in the tangly shrubs. We also spotted nursery web spider webs, manuka seed pods, and both the green and ready and open seed pods of Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenufolium). It was great to talk about how we can collect seed to grow a forest.
We made our way to Bushy Point stopping to see how the plants we are planting as part of the Eco Challenge Days (joint KCC and Otatara Landcare Group events) are growing. A great way for us as KCC to be involved in growing a forest. Liam found his tree planted December 2015 which started out at 43 cm and is now 128 cm! We made it to the pond at Bushy Point and set up base to explore from. Russel caught a cicada for us to have a close up look at, we heard and spotted a rare fernbird, made boats (that we sailed on the pond back at the Southland Community Nursery), started a nature journal, used books to find out about species found in this area, and watched a kereru drink water from the pond – extraodinary! On the way back we saw kakariki flying over the bush at Rances.
Bronwyn (KCC Coordinator)
Posted: 22 March 2017