Events

Grow from here - Plant propagation and seed sourcing for restoration

Online webinar 2.30pm - 4pm on Friday 13th March, with field day (near Dipton) for practice seed collecting 1-4pm Satruday 14th March.

Josie Blackshaw, Co-founder of Northern Southland Reforestation Trust & Lumsden Community Nursery, will lead an introduction to seed collecting and propagation for restoring indigenous habitats.

Josie will provide an c.1hr webinar with ample time for your questions on the Friday. This will cover methods on collecting seed and how to treat it for the best chance of germination and good growth. There will also be tips on where to get plant ID, which species to propagate, planning for appropriate plants to put in first and then in later years – and on how to check if a nursery can supply suitable plants if you don’t grow them yourself. Then there is an opportunity to learn the more practical details of seed collecting at a QEII reserve on Saturday afternoon.

Both are free. Light refreshments provided on Saturday.

For more details contact: Catriona Gower, Biodiversity Officer [Enable JavaScript to view protected content] ph. 021 400 843

You can book to attend one or both events.

Please use this link to book or go to the Bookings section of the Environment Southland website ‘Do it Online’ page.

If you would like to attend the webinar from the ES offices, we have room booked which can take a few attendees; please contact Catriona direct to arrange this.

This is the second of four workshops which the Biodiversity Team at ES is hosting. Details will be posted as they become available. The other two are:

• Biodiversity Monitoring for Restoration Success, looking at a range of methods used to check presence of pest animals & plants and see the success of your management work. (Practical, half-day, Sat 11th April, at Riverton)
• Pest animal control (On site, May, Waikawa area in partnership with the Catchment group)

Learn: Plant Identification

Delivered in partnership with DOC, this course provides a range of resources to identify native plants.

$25 for the two days. Will be hosted by the Southland Community Nursery, Otatara. Open to all but you will need to register (as a student for the short course) on the NMIT site.

Book here:

https://www.nmit.ac.nz/study/short-courses/cfs423-plant-identification

Mid Oreti Catchment Group Monthly Nursery Drop In

NEXT Tuesday Mid Oreti Catchment Group have their monthly nursery drop in session

All welcome to come along and learn some native plant growing skills & ask your questions to help you grow them at home

Tuesday 7th April, 4-6 pm - it will be great fun!

AB Lime Nursery, 10 Bend Road, Winton (follow the signs to the AB Lime nursery once on site)

Stay for as little or as long as you like - all ages welcome

All plants go to our Mid Oreti Mini Forest Movement Project- providing native plants to local community groups and landowners

Biodiversity Monitoring for Restoration Success

Morning of the Saturday. At the QEII reserve Te Wai Korari at the entrance to Riverton on SH1. This site is now under the management of Aparima Pestbusters.

A biodiversity advice workshop for community groups and interested members of the public to explain what biodiversity monitoring is, why it is needed to gauge restoration success, what the different monitoring methods can tell us and when they should be used.

Free. Open to all. More details and booking here soon.

Root of the Problem: Pest Plant Control workshop

To be held February at Thomsons Bush 4pm - 6.30pm or the Environment Southland (ES) council chambers if the weather is wet.

A practical workshop on identifying key pest plants, understanding their impact on indigenous ecosystems, and knowing when and how to control them effectively. Participants will build confidence in plant ID, timing, control methods, and safe herbicide decision making, including when to seek expert help. Free. Light refreshments provided. For more details contact: Catriona Gower, Biodiversity Officer [Enable JavaScript to view protected content] ph. 021 400 843

Please scan the QR code on the poster to book your place.

This is the first of four workshops which the Biodiversity Team at ES is hosting. Details will be posted as they become available. The other three are:

• Plant Propagation (a webinar on afternoon of Fri 13th March with practical seed collecting on Sat 14th March, near Dipton)
• Monitoring methods, looking at a range of methods used to check presence of pest animals & plants and see the success of your management work. (Practical, half-day, Sat 11th April, at Riverton)
• Pest animal control (On site, May, possibly Waikawa or Waikaia area in partnership with the Catchment group of the location)

Friends of Kew Bush - working bee this Saturday

We’ll meet at the picnic benches at 9am to come up with a plan as there’s plenty of work to be done!

There are plants to release, tracks to tidy up, planting sites to prepare and the usual pesky weeds that need pulling or clearing (not the native black orchid in the photo though - which are flowering now). We would love some help - bring along your friends and whānau as well spades, gloves and clippers. We’ll have plenty to share if you need them.

Morning tea afterwards where we’ll think about what work can be done for the upcoming year. Everyone welcome

OLG Tree releasing at Bushy Point – Autumn 2026

Otatara Landcare Group is organising tree releasing sessions at Bushy Point on Wednesday evenings in February, 4th, 11th, 18th through to 25th , from 6-7pm, weather permitting.
Meet at the Bryson Rd entrance to Bushy Point.
On the first Wednesday (4th) we will be cutting out broom and lupins which threaten seedlings near the Bryson Rd entrance. From Bryson Rd walk along the main track until it splits and take the path to the left.

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

Please contact Geoff Dembo on 027 378 6844 for more information or to find out where we are working on the night.

OLG Bowmans Bush Chilean Flame Creeper Control

Removing Chilean flame creeper in Bowman’s Bush

When: Thursday 22nd January, 7-8:30 pm.

Where: Bowman’s Bush (meet on Spence Ave, access via Paterson Reserve)

What: Pulling out Chilean flame-creeper, an invasive weed.

This is done annually to keep Bowman’s Bush from being smothered. QEII would like to thank the key supporters of Bowman’s Bush - diligent local residents and Otatara Landcare Group volunteers for their weeding help for nearly two decades, Otatara Pestbusters for their predator control and Invercargill City Council for maintaining the walking track.

What to bring: Practical clothes for working in the bush off the track, gloves can be helpful. No tools or herbicide necessary. For more information contact: Jesse Bythell, QEII National Trust Regional Representative ([Enable JavaScript to view protected content], 020 400 32109).

Check this project out here.

Friends of Thomsons Bush Working Bees

Friends of Thomsons Bush are back concentrating on weed removal for 2026. They are attacking a number of weed species, from pulling ivy to cutting and pasting barberry, drilling and filling holly and elderberry. Meet at entrance to bush at west end of GIMBLETT STREET, 9.55am. This is a regular Wednesday working bee. For more info, contact Judy at [Enable JavaScript to view protected content].