16 February 2010

2010 International Year of Biodiversity Each month we will have an activity celebrating Southland’s Biodiversity.

Keep the last weekend in March free for our Heritage Harvest Festival

Orepuki Outing The best picnics need sunny weather, great food and good company and we had all three when the Organic group went west, to Pahia and the old-primary-school-now-Jude’s-house, for a blankets down, cordial bottles out, sun hats on, midday picnic. We had a wander through the school rooms before we ate, enjoying the educational architecture, looking at the learning posters on the walls and peering through the banks of small paned school windows at the playing fields-come-gardens outside. We piled our plates with the wonderful foods everyone had brought then made for the shade, those of us with sensitive skin, or the sun for those more leathery. It was funny to see the ’old boys and girls’ sitting in a row along the benches beside the drinking fountains, as though they’d never left primary school. Once the bell rang, we were off for a tour of Jude’s 10 acre garden, green, lush and productive. We couldn’t and didn’t go past the strawberry beds, still dripping with big red berries - most of the photos taken there showed bums in the air as the pickers picked. Although we were happy to stay and lollop about the grounds, we got back into our cars for stage two - a quick look at Carmel’s place, where she and her husband have made good progress on taming their up and down property - sluiced slopes, big ponds, gullies, paddocks and all. Carmel led us further down the road to the farmlet of Pearl, Mike and hoofed, web-footed and trottered friends. We admired the soon to be patented cow/oat milking shed, the battery of photovoltaic cells cranking out electricity for the house and the absence of gorse. After a dramatic battle of the scythes ‘Old English’ v’s ‘new Austrian‘, we nipped inside out of the Orepuki wind, to sample a brew or two, both made right there from strawberries and elderflowers. All declared the vintage a success. We eyed-up the mangle-worzel wine and other vaguely dangerous looking demi-johns of bubbling mischief arranged about the wood fire, but those will have to wait ‘til they’ve graduated to maturity before we can taste them comment on their quality. We retook our seats in the cars (pooled, we did) and headed our separate ways. With Dave on board, we felt it best to call in to his place on the way home and were treated to an impromptu tour of the Clapp estate, cute, well groomed and arty-as! Rob Our next tour is Saturday 20th see details below.

SCES preparing for a busy future The Office has had an overhaul, after years of ‘gathering paperwork’ it was time for a good purge and we are re-arranging the filing systems so we can all find things we need quickly. Paid staff and volunteers will find it a more user-friendly space. The Centre has also had an overhaul. After 7 years in one building and 14 years of being a Centre, we were bursting at the seams and some displays and information were getting ‘tired’. We needed a more flexible meeting and workshop space for larger groups. Our focus has changed over the years, ideas that we were promoting back then are now mainstream thinking and there are new issues to speak up for or educate the public about. It looks better already with the ‘out with the old’ removed and only half of the ‘in with the new’ in. It will be a pleasurable task over the next few weeks to do the finishing touches. We were intending to start the new image with our street frontage but the weather dictated otherwise. There is still time to put your ideas forward on the colour scheme and ‘look’ we should be thinking of. We have also looked in to upgrade our kitchen a little to reach the requirements to serve hot soup, toasted sandwiches and the like over the winter months. We are often asked for this service and it would be nice to offer this on a small scale. We would require someone to co-ordinate this and make it easy for the volunteers to heat and serve the items we decide to offer. What does everyone think about that? Would you like to help make this possible? Robyn

Orca Did anyone else happen to see the Orca that visited Riverton on Friday evening, February 12? It was a real privilege to watch these large mammals feeding / frolicking off Howell’s Point. Word soon spread that we had some rather large (and infrequent) visitors and there were lots of people taking up various vantage points to watch them. They were very close to shore – just beyond the rocks that are home to the local Shag population. The watchers were treated to various whale antics, all natural behaviours and not the learned tricks that you witness if you happen to see whales at aquariums / marinelands around the globe! They entertained us for quite some time and it is something that I will never forget. Have you also noticed what an abundance of bird life there is at this time of the year? Titis (Mutton birds or Sooty Shearwater) are frequently seen fishing and feeding close to shore. They often have an “escort” of Gannets whose fishing style consists of them diving in to the water from height after their elusive prey. If you get a chance to watch them, notice how they fold their wings just before entering the water. They take on a real arrow shape. The Gannets are also very graceful fliers and are more streamlined than the Black-backed Gulls. Oystercatchers are the comics of the shoreline and their antics can’t help but make you smile! Not only do we have many seabirds but their land-loving cousins are not to be outdone. I have watched Kereru (native wood pigeons) visiting a neighbour’s garden. They are particularly fond of the new growth on laburnum trees and have stripped the foliage from several trees leaving the trees looking very much the worse for wear. Tui and Korimako (Bellbirds) are now seen and heard in greater numbers thanks to the Aparima Pestbusters who have rid Mores Reserve of predators. There are many other birds both native and introduced species that can be seen around Riverton. We live in a place that many people can only dream about. Imagine being stuck in a large city like London or New York or even Auckland where you see nothing but buildings when you look out your windows. So, turn the TV and computer off, turn your chairs around and look out your windows and be entertained by the birds and animals that pay us visits and those that call Riverton home! W McI

Southland wide Networking Robert and I attended a meeting of Southland’s health agencies that work in schools at Sport Southland. We have been invited to meet quarterly to network with this group. We presented updates on SCES projects with school age children and schools. We were very well received and several of the reps from other agencies commented on the high value of these projects in the various Southland communities that we had connections with. The ‘school gardens and orchards’ were particularly valued as was our bucket garden project in Mataura and Ohai. Feed back from other agencies let us know that the simple act of giving children a bucket of growing veges started many families creating a vege patch at home. We were very encouraged our next project is the Green fingers garden club we are trialling now in selected schools. Robyn

Check out website regularly for new events and news

www.sces.org.nz

Saturday Organic Farmers Markets 10.30-12.30

February 20th 27th of , March 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th

Biodynamic visitor Peter Bacchus paid Riverton a visit last week, to spread the biodynamic word with visits to farms and gardens and a talk at the Environment Centre. Peter has had a lifetime of experience with Biodynamic Agriculture, its practitioners and farms and is a font of information about all aspects of the art of conscious farming. Peter’s presentation included an electronic look at the star charts that guide the decisions made by farmers and gardeners and give some indication as to future events. He is predicting a very cold winter for us all so get your winter veges started now. We discussed the various scenarios for the future and how best to be ready to take advantage of them. A good deal of those ideas centred around food growing and community building, so we felt we were on familiar ground and that we had a lot to offer as well as recognising that we were quite a good way down that track already. The weather was very good on the second day of Peter’s visit and we spent it at our place, wandering about the garden, sharing ideas on how to increase production and the health of the plants growing there. We look forward to Peter’s return and with his interest in local properties for sale he might be thinking of moving, along with his wife, to our town. That would be a great thing. Rob

Open Orchard Project Update: The orchard team, Jude, Dave, Steve and Robyn went on a road trip during the first week in February and visited 15 heritage orchards to access the very early fruit, like plums and early apples. It was great to get photos of the trees and orchards in full leaf and full of young fruit. We got cuttings of pears for bud grafting (done at this time of year). We will try a few ourselves but send some also to a professional to ensure we succeed. Pears aren’t as easy as apples to graft. We had a picnic in one of the orchards and it was warm and idyllic. We had lots of fun and jokes driving around often losing our way on the tangled criss-cross of roads that is the Southland plains. Robyn thought she needed new reading classes when she was trying to read the map but it was her sun glasses she was wearing! Happened more than once so in the end she wore both and we forgot to get a photo! There will be an article on National Radio, recorded as we grafted in the spring, on Sunday 21st February at 12pm after the midday news in the Spectrum programme. If you miss it follow this link for the recording. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/spectrum

Coming up:

Nightcaps Garden Tour 20th February Noel Curtains invitation ‘An afternoon in Nightcaps: Come an be introduced to some of the amazing people and places in this town nestled under the majestic Takitimu mountains. It has been in existence since 1880 - 130 years! It was established as a coal mining town; some coal is still being mined for Fonterra’s dairy processing industry. People from all over have discovered the laid-back lifestyle that a small country town offers. New arrivals have come from Peru, Papua New Guinea, Australia and many parts of NZ, you will met some of them as we tour five very different gardens. One is an old bowling green converted into a place of exquisite nostalgia ‘The Swamp’ as Colin calls it. Tea and coffee provided but bring something to snack on for afternoon tea. Join us for a great afternoon in Nightcaps ‘under the majestic Takitimu Mountain‘. Car pool from the Environment Centre 12.30pm or meet at 1.15pm at the Nightcaps Hotel corner.

Wonderful Weeds Wednesday 3rd March 7.30pm Part of our 2010 Year of Biodiversity Programme A night celebrating weeds. Come along and test your knowledge and then see a great video explaining the uses and value of many of them. Bring along weeds you would like identified and bring along your favourite weed recipe, if you have one to share. Which weeds attract insects? What does the presence of some weeds indicate? Cost gold coin donation.

Make your own Cosmetics Course Come along and find out all the lotions and potions you can make out of items in your kitchen- you will be surprised how easy, cheap and effective they are- pamper yourself! $10 waged $7.50 unwaged. Bookings essential. Monday night 8th March 7.30pm - 9pm

Beginners guide to Beekeeping Wednesday March 17th 1.30-4.30 If you are thinking about starting with bees in your back yard, this course is for you. The Aalders have been beekeeping on a small scale for many years and the course is based in their 2 acre paradise. $10 waged $7.50 unwaged. Booking essential thought the Environment Centre 2348717

Wildlife Wednesdays with Riverton KCC We’re looking for adventure and to discover all about the creatures and plants that live in our neighbourhood. Join us on our Wildlife Wednesday adventures around Riverton. The cost is $3 per child, adults free. Good walking shoes and a raincoat is needed. We start at 3.30 p.m. at the Environment Centre learning about what we might see then head off exploring. We finish on the dot at 5pm so please pick up you children promptly. We have experienced leaders to keep you safe and make sure you have fun! Wildlife Wednesdays will be wild! NOTE: Pre booking the day before essential to ensure we have the right ratio of adults to children.

Heritage Harvest Festival - 2010 It’s almost a year now since Riverton’s first successful Festival was held, attracting around 500 visitors over the two days it was held. Now, we’re preparing for the second, on the 27th & 28th of March, and it promises to be even better than last year’s. We’ve excellent workshops on cider, beer and wine making, bee-keeping, cheese-making, preserving fruits and growing vegetables, fruit trees and berries. The harvest hall will again be filled with huge and colourful vegetables and fruits; rare potato varieties, exotic tomatoes, enormous carrots, beets, pumpkins and leeks - everything that shows just how well things grow in Southland and how skilled our gardeners are. Last year’s fabulous vegetable creations by the students from the local schools will provide a draw-card and a delight for the crowds of visitors that are expected to arrive from across Southland over the two days. We are planning a harvest feast and other new activities this year. Let us know how you or your group would like to be involved. Perhaps you could have a toffee apple stall, sell jams and preserves, hold an activity for adults or children on the Harvest theme. We are open to new ideas, so please email us at office@sces.org.nz and remember to keep the weekend free! The harvest festival sub committee will meet weekly 7.30 Thursday nights up until the day of the festival and you are more than welcome to come and join in the preparations.

WANTED: Donations of shade-loving pot plants for the Centre. If you are dividing any up, think of us. Cardboard Tubes from ‘kitchen wraps’ to use to post our cleaners charts away. Jam jars with lids - please ensure the labels are off.