News

Hedgehope School Helps Sherwood Forest

The Hedgehope School connection with Sherwood Forest at Tussock Creek goes back several decades to the time when Derek and Pat Turnbull owned the property. These days it is an integral part of the Enviroschool’s learning programme with visits there every fortnight. The pupils are involved in learning about the flora and fauna that live in this special place, along with undertaking predator control. On one of the school’s recent outings there was much excitement when they discovered a ferret killed in one of their DOC 200 traps. The students decided to make videos, involving all of the school, telling their learning stories from Sherwood Forest, so the experience is multifaceted. The photos below are taken from their Sherwood Sharp youtube programme. Amazing work, Hedgehope School!

Posted on: Thursday, 13 July 2023

Garden Bird Survey 2023

Te Tatauranga o ngā Manu Māra o Aotearoa – The New Zealand Garden Bird Survey 2023

We need you to help make a difference

All you need is one hour, on one day, from 24th June to the 2nd July 2023.

Strong bird populations can indicate the environment is healthy. We know a lot about endangered native birds in the bush, but we don’t always know what’s happening in the populations of all the birds around us, particularly in urban and garden environments.

That’s why we need you to help us count them.

What we learn from information about the birds in your garden collected by you and your fellow citizen scientists helps our researchers understand how birds are coping with environmental challenges. It also helps us build a long-term dataset to understand the impact of climate change on ecosystems and biodiversity.

Go to the website to register and you will also find there is lots more information including ID guides, resources, ideas to involve others and even quizzes : website: https://gardenbirdsurvey.nz/

Environment Southland’s Biodiversity Team is also providing advice and encouragement to see if we can increase the numbers of people taking part right across the region. Why not organise a time with firends to see who has which birds at the same time? or offer to sit with a friend or relative at a rest home to take part? You don’t have to have a garden: go to the park or even count the birds from the office window! Get in touch to boast about your exciting bird counts too - we would love to know about them!

Contact: Mike Hargraves 021 311 207 [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 June 2023

SERN Autumn Field Day: Bushy Point

The SERN Autumn Field Day took place at Bushy Point in brilliant, summer levels of sunshine! There were volunteers from groups in Bluff to central Southland, Catlins across to the Aparima and a few local Otatara residents too. It was a wonderful day of discovery for all those who attended. Huge thanks to all those involved both in organising the event and especially to those who have taken part, and continue to be the kaitiaki of this area, taking it from sheep grazed paddocks onto its 500 year journey of restoration to rich kahikatea forest ecosystem that was so rashly felled in a couple of days back in the 70’s. Now Bushy Point will also be interlaced with open tussock patches where people can share time watching the clouds float by with a backdrop of tūī and kākāriki. SERN wanted to showcase what could be achieved in time alongside providing advice where lessons have been learned and Bushy Point was a perfect example.

Barry did an awesome job with facts and figures for every topic alongside descriptions of how much sweat had been shed; in deciding to take on the site in the 90’s, to worrying if anyone would turn up to plant the ready and waiting 6000 plants for the Living Legend event, to repeated planting (with different species!) on areas that no plants seem to be able to grow in and how a spike-grass covered wetland is still heaven for heaps of NZ insects so stop sweating about it! Lloyd described the amazing number of birds to be found here, Brian explained the mix of different shrubs planted and the various methods trialled and Chris gave some of the background plans and how the site provides education through to the wider community with the Community Nursery and school or other group visits. There was plenty of chatter throughout the day - of ideas exchanged to take back to their sites, and many comments of people being impressed by the achievements. There have been so many people involved over the 25years, some were young children at the start and come back now with their own youngsters. Take some time yourself to wander through, help on a planting or weeding day, and if you are looking to get fit perhaps take on a pest trap line.

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 May 2023

Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF)

The closing date for this year’s round (July 2023 - June 2024) is 30 April 2023.

The fund focuses on protecting and improving the biodiversity which arlready exists on your property, rather than creating new areas like new wetlands or riparian buffers.

Southland has lots of special native species and ecosystems that are at risk from animal pests, weeds, drainage and development. Environment Southland is committed to supporting communities and individuals who want to combat these threats and help restore our precious environment.

Examples of actions supported by the fund include:

• pest animal and weed control
• fencing
• work to restore the natural flow of water
• native planting and plant maintenance.

The fund has been boosted by Jobs for Nature, and now provides up to $300,000 per year for the next four years. The increase in funding is part of our Biodiversity Action on the Ground programme, which received $4.25m from the Ministry for the Environment through Jobs for Nature in 2020.

For more details and to apply, go to: https://www.es.govt.nz/about-us/funding-and-support/environmental-enhancement-fund

The Environment Southland Biodiversity team looks forward to hearing from you!

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2023

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