News

Thomsons Bush Discovery Day

Environment Southland, along with friends from Invercargill City Council, hosted more than 100 intrepid explorers at the Thomsons Bush Discovery Day last Thursday. It was great to see so many families learning about native birds, pests, and ecosystems in this special kahikatea forest remnant in the middle of our town.

The sausage sizzle was a big success, and there was a self guided wicked-weeds walk, taxidermered pest-animals to look at alonside their tracking-tunnel footprints, a ‘learn your birds’ station, and ecology themed giant-jenga.

Staff from Environment Southland, along with families, were observed frantically applying sunscreen, drinking water, and loudly commending the shade-giving properties of Kahikatea throughout the day.

Posted on: Thursday, 2 February 2023

Fiordland Focus Weekend

In November SERN held a fabulous Fiordland Focus weekend in Te anau - visiting Pomona and Rona Islands and other projects - read all about it here

Posted on: Monday, 19 December 2022

Pest Trapping Workshop at Southland Community Nursery

The Education Centre and property was the venue for the latest two day NMIT Trapping Workshop on 19-20 October. Under Tutor Steve Price, ten participants went through the detail of planning a pest trapping operation, pest species characteristics and behaviours, legal requirements, trap types and operation and then sessions in the field setting out traplines with hip chain and compass and setting up a variety of mustelid, rat and possum traps in the bush. Steve was assisted by Kate Hamilton and Tim Exton from DOC who also brought with them a variety of new traps and tools for people to get hand-on experience with. With the indoor and outdoor settings the Community Nursery is a good location to run practical courses like this. Watch out for more courses like this being run in the future. The biodiversity based courses are run through DOC and available by booking - https://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/training/field-based-courses/

Some of the many traps talked about at the Pest Trapping workshop.

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 November 2022

Predator Trapping Course at Southland Community Nursery 19-20 October 2022

An opportunity to attend the NMIT/DOC two day Trapping Course on 19-20 October 22 based at the Community Nursery, Otatara - there are a few places left but you will need to book through NMIT as per the poster (PDF, 2.80 MB)

More information available about the course - https://www.nmit.ac.nz/study/short-courses/prt301-predator-trapping-methods/

Posted on: Wednesday, 5 October 2022

Another Big Planting Day for Bushy Point, Otatara.

Over 90 people helped plant 1100 local native plants on 11 September 2022. On the previous Friday Otatara Landcare Group committee and helpers put the plants out on-site from Linda and Rays special Bushy Point plants area. On the planting day mist shrouded the site early morning but people and cars filed in from the Bryson Road entrance. Barry gave a welcome and health and safety talk then people split into small groups with planting leaders and headed off to the various planting sites at 10am. As people planted and moved closer to the gathering area, the smell of onions and sausages from the bbq tended by Linda and Cathy came wafting over to the planters. This gave added motivation to get the last remaining plants in and covered by midday!! By then the sun was fully out and made for a glorious day. Barrys organisation of the day was fantastic and just over 1100 plants were planted, adding to the previous 31,000 plants for the site since the year 2000. A new self-guided walk brochure has been made for the site by Cathy Macfie and Helen Duston and is avaiable at the Bryson Road entrance to pick up when you next go for a walk at Bushy Point. Credit: www.otataralandcare.org.nz - check the planting day out here for more photos and lots of other good information.