Mountain to Sea Walk – October 2018

October 2nd, 2018

On Saturday the 13th of October, STEPS will be walking the third and final stage of the Meola Waititiko Mountain to Sea Walk, from Western Springs to Meola Reef on the Waitamata!

This is following on from the first and section walks we did in March from the summit of Owairaka Mt Albert to Kerr Taylor Reserve, and from Kerr Taylor to Rawalpindi. Its a chance to learn about the Meola Creek Waititiko and its catchment and aquifer, while stretching your legs in good company. Do come and join us!

Details of the walk can be found here.

Its about 3km of distance in total, and we will be taking our time. This is replacing the regular working bee for the month, as we did so much hard work planting in July and August.  Kids and whole family welcome.

We have chosen to start the walk from Western Springs rather than Rawalpindi, to cut out a large section of the walk that is far from the creek and on roads.

Meet at 10am on Saturday 13th October on the eastern side (next to the carpark) of the Western Springs Garden Community Hall which is on Great North Road.  Parking in the car park, of course!

For those driving or biking to the start, there will be cars at the end to shuttle walkers back to their cars or bikes, but of course you’ll need to walk back from Meola Reef to the Meola Road carpark.

If weather looks poor, see www.meolacreek.org.nz  on the day at 8am to check for cancellation.
You can download this flyer to send to your friends and post in your local park. We hope to see you there

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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