Archive for September, 2018

Biodiversity and Native Bees

September 17th, 2018

Have you ever thought about the role of NZ’s 28 species of native bees in pollinating our flowers and keeping our forests alive? Here is a handy guide including how to make a pollinator palace in your back yard so that the gardens and parks around you will continue to thrive.

According to Te Ara Te Ara Encyclopaedia of NZ 25 of 28 local bee species are solitary – with only three having a social structure.  (Perhaps there is a similarity to the NZ “Man Alone”  character written about by John Mulgan? It is an ecological book, containing themes of fire and vulcanism very relevant today).

A free talk on how to identify native bees will be held this Friday 21 September 2018 in Auckland -all welcome.

E Tu Kahikatea

September 2nd, 2018

To close out the 2018 winter planting season STEPS held a ceremonial planting of some kahikatea in the new wetland.  Roy Clements (STEPS Patron), Peter Haynes (AELB Board Chair), and Wendy John (Friends of Oakley Creek Chair) all spoke and Tanya White gave a karakia. Five trees kindly donated by Friends of Oakley Creek were planted.

 

The group joined in singing a waiata by Dr Hirini Melbourne: E Tu Kahikatea. (Here are the words and music  https://www.facebook.com/notes/hirini-melbourne-syd/ngaa-waiata/163807221664/?hc_location=ufi & … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM1JzPClXDI).

Kia ora tatou  – thank you for coming on this 1st day of Spring – a very special day. Ko te ra tuatahi o Mahuru, te ra tuatahi o Koanga.

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