Southland Ecological Restoration Network

Southland Ecological Restoration Network

A Network of Southland Community Conservation Projects

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Events

September • Gore Forest Restoration, Hamilton Park

Past events

Five Minute Bird Count training course

14 – 15 October 2025

2-day course, open to all, $21 at Southland Community Nursery. Book direct: Phone: (03) 539 5126 or email [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

Excellent skill to have as a means of monitoring the success of all your hard conservation work!

Friends of Thomson's Bush Big Work Day!

28 September 2025

10am to 2pm: Meet at playground off Queens Drive.

Pulling as much ivy as we can - can we top the 12 fadges we managed in March?

Please bring your own garden gloves, thanks

All welcome. Stop anytime for a free BBQ!

(If you can’t make the 28th; We are there every Wednesday 10am - noon and tackling many other weeds - see the photos for the latest inroads on crack willow.)

Otatara Landcare Group Tree Releasing Working Bee

27 September 2025

Join us this coming Saturday, 2.00pm – 4.00pm for our spring working bee.

This season we are starting early to get on top of things in priority areas before spring growth takes off. The first priority is the series of 2022 plantings alongside the Totara block, where broom and poroporo are competing strongly with many young trees, and hopefully cleaning up here may be the final releasing needed in these areas. Grass is also competing strongly with a lot of the younger trees in the area below the
lookout seat and surrounds. Various methods can be used to release the trees and suppress competing grass etc growth, as will be demonstrated on the day.

We will meet at the lookout seat accessed from the Bryson Rd entrance to Bushy Point.

Please bring:

  • shoes or gumboots suitable for working in long grass and lupins etc
  • 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 plant stalks or branches
  • a small pruning saw, if possible, for working in the broom, poru poru and lupins
  • ideally, a pair of sharp garden shears suitable for cutting grass.

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.

Conservation Week events Sept 2025

14 – 21 September 2025

With a theme of ‘small things can make a big difference’, lots of ideas for all ages to be involved starting from 1st September to celebrate Conservation Week this year.

Nature Art workshop 1.30-2.30pm Sun 14 Sept. All events free; just turn up! More details here and on Environment Southland fb page.

Competition winners will receive a copy of Observologist by Giselle Clarkson. Age categories 0-7yrs, 8-12yrs, 13-113yrs….

Despite the hail, as the Bug Hotel making was thankfully indoors, on 6 Sept. a dedicated group of families created several new hotels for the critters in their gardens. (see photos)

Friends of Thomson's Bush working bee

16 July 2025

Meet 9:55am in the car park.

We have been clearing the block near to the track parallel to Gimblet St. This contains a large patch of willows and the same area has had some kohuhu and kahikatea planted there in the past. Added to this there are elder bushes, Copsrosma robusta, ivy and blackberrry: plenty to clear!

With thanks to Ron And Edna Greenwood Environmental Trust for funds to purchase more herbicide for our ongoing pest plant control.

and HUGE THANKS to the helpers, of all ages, who have contributed their time and energy over the school holidays :)

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Men of the Trees working bee, clearing the natives from the engulfing broom. Follow up spraying controlled the broom and allowed for further plantings.

Pourakino Reserve, Riverton

Ponds were created to improve whitebait spawning grounds. Flax was planted following pond excavation.

Te Wai Korari Wetland, Riverton

Planting at Gore 14.11.09.

Gore Native Forest Restoration

The pristine Wairaurahiri environment. An apparent paradise.

Wairaurahiri Stoat Trapping Project

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Invercargill City Council Environment Southland Department of Conservation Forest and Bird Southland Community Nursery
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