Latest highlights:
The stars in our midst
Nursery plants looking good
More planting sites needed
Seed collecting time
Website developer needed
The stars in our midst
Its been a long time since the last Update, but its not as though we have been completely idle, as you will find out as you read below. The big news I want to share with you is the recent success at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards achieved by one of our planting partners, White Rock Hills Ltd (aka Bryce & Aneta Lupton and Peter & Prue Vincent). Congratulations to them for winning the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award and Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Awards, a great effort and well deserved. And of course congratulations again to Bryce and Aneta on their even more recent nuptials. It puts a smile on my dial.
Nursery plants looking good
Over recent times I have been posting photos of nursery working bee activities, on our Facebook page (see a sample below). If you haven’t had a look, I encourage you to do so, and to “like” our page if you haven’t already done so. While there have been a few challenges with some species, there have also been some outstanding successes, including the move to use the services of Nga Rakau Nurseries to propagate our seed for us. Its looking great for the start of planting some time in May.
More planting sites needed
We have not yet finalised our planting list for the season, so if you are interested in getting some done, or know someone who might be a candidate, please do get in touch. You might be interested to know that with the NRC’s $1.2M Environment Fund for 2016-17, $380,000 was spent in the catchment of the Kaipara Harbour, a not inconsiderable amount. I learnt this at the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group’s quarterly hui this week.
Most of the Fund is spent on assisting farmers with the cost of fencing, and what we do can complement this so that desirable plants grow in the fenced off areas rather than the plethora of weeds which Northland is so good at growing. It is also a plus for biodiversity too of course.
Seed collecting time
I have just started collecting seed for next year’s crop, something I really enjoy doing. I have been keeping an eye on a mahoe site just alongside the Paparoa-Oakleigh Rd near the intersection with Wairere Valley Rd, and had intended to check it out on my way through to Whangarei a couple of weeks back. I drove through just a few minutes after the mowing contractor had been through, so not so much seed to collect from that site now. You win some, you lose some I guess.
Website developer needed
You will probably be aware that Otamatea Harbourcare does not have a website. There could be advantages in having one to boost our profile and gather more support for our cause. The drawbacks are the cost of developing something worth having, and the resource required in keeping it up to date. If you have ideas on how this could be done, please let me know. I think we should be able to get a grant to cover establishment costs, but having someone available to maintain it is key to this being a success. I welcome your ideas.