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Work Day Reminder, September 21 2024
Spring is here! The first Paradise Shelduck and Mallard ducklings have been seen at Travis.
The next monthly work day will be from 9.00am – noon this coming Saturday.
This month we’ll probably be doing a bit of planting and releasing plants from weeds down at the Southern Woods plantings. An area that is not too wet has been sussed out.
If you arrive late there will be a notice on the Education Centre door explaining where we have gone and a phone number for if you need more guidance to our location.
All tools provided. Gumboots are highly recommended, but if you don’t have any we have pairs for loan. Please bring your own gloves if you can, but we have some of them for loan too.
If the weather on the work day is poor and we decide to cancel then an email will be sent by 8am on Saturday morning. So if you think the conditions are marginal, please check your emails.
If you’re reading this on the website and are not on the email list then you can add yourself to it through the form at the foot of the home page. If you change your mind there’s an unsubscribe link in each newsletter.
Latest News
Report on Last Month’s Work Day, 17 August
We had a perfect cloudy, calm day for our red zone planting on what was once Corserland Street, near Anzac Drive. Previous plantings in the area looked very healthy and provided some shelter for our latest efforts.
Plants included tōtara, lancewood, lemonwood plus various small-leafed species and these were ably set out for us by Colin and Eleanor. The ground seemed reasonably moist apart from a few raised areas. As the digging was relatively easy our 20 or so volunteers made fast work of the 160 plants.
A few moisture loving specimens were placed near ponds to best meet their needs. After that it was time for some weeding around last year’s plantings and this was not too arduous, thanks to recent spraying by rangers.
As we left it was good to see the lush growth on the western side of Brooker Avenue. Te Kohanga Taiao Sensory Nature Play Park is a great resource for all to enjoy, thanks to the efforts of Avon-Ōtakaro Forest Park and others. The Department of Corrections have been busy planting nearby too.
While we were busy in the former Red Zone Eleanor was working with a family to scatter mānuka seeds on a prepared area of Travis wetland near Mairehau Rd. Suppressing weeds by covering the ground with newspaper and branches to hold it in place is an effective way of preparing for the regeneration of mānuka. Then at the right time of year all that needs to be done is the scattering of ripe mānuka seeds on the paper and nature does the rest.
Thanks to everyone who helped out. Our efforts were rewarded with a full day of rain for the new plants on Sunday.
Article: Sue Britain and image: Eleanor Bissell
Donation from Lincoln University Students Assoc.
In August the Trust received a $300 donation from the LUSA. This was in appreciation of assistance received from Trust president Colin Meurk. Each year the LUSA holds a Sustainability Week at Lincoln University and as part of this years event the students planted natives at the university along a stretch of Springs Rd.
Over one hundred native seedlings, donated by Lincoln University’s Field Research Centre and Travis Wetland Trust, were planted on campus by 40 enthusiastic staff and student volunteers. Dr Colin Meurk supervised the planting and shared his wisdom about native trees and biodiversity along with offering a broader picture of native plantings in Canterbury.
The Travis Wetland Trust appreciates the support of the Lincoln University Students Association and thanks Colin and John Gould from the Department of Environmental Management at Lincoln Uni for pulling it all together.
Conservation Volunteers Working at Travis
In spite of a cold morning, 20 volunteers arrived at Travis [a few more than usual] but all most welcome. [The numbers were swelled by several energetic, Cultivate Explore enthusiasts.]
All slaved away keeping warm and benefiting the Inwoods Road plantings by weeding and adding plants where some had not survived.
The new oven in the kitchen was christened at lunch time with a batch of cheese scones! It worked well once the problem of the hieroglyphics to make it function were sorted!
Thank you to all participants for your dedicated commitment at Travis.
Article: Eleanor Bissell and image: Donna Lusby
A New Weed to Watch Out For
Gardeners and landowners are urged to be on the lookout for the invasive Cape tulip weed, which has been found in Canterbury.
Despite its appearance with its pretty flowers, Cape tulip is a toxic, non-native plant, and dangerous to both humans and livestock.
Every part of this plant contains poisonous compounds. Symptoms of Cape tulip poisoning include gastroenteritis, thirst, paralysis, blindness, and heart and kidney failure.
Cape tulip is both a Notifiable Organism and an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and is banned from sale, propagation, and distribution.
There is more information on the Cape tulip on the ECan website. If you have seen or suspect the presence of this pest you must report the sighting to MPI.
Images from Grahame
