Please find attached an invitation to an upcoming field day in Te Pahu, 29th June 2010.

Please also forward onto anyone you know that might be interested.

Many thanks

Nardene Berry
Project Coordinator
Landcare Trust
Phone 07 859

Te Pahu Fielday invite final.pdf

June Donation Round

 Just a friendly reminder… Trust Waikato’s next funding round closes on Friday 11^th June for those who have not received funding in the February round. Our third and final round for 2010 closes on 17 September.

 If you require an application form, please visit www.trustwaikato.co.nz. There are some great resources to help you fill out the form under the ‘Resources’ menu on our website.  You can also call us on 0800 436628 and we’ll send an application pack to you.  

 NB: Please note that applications must be received in our office by 4.30 pm on closing day – late applications will not be considered.

Trust Waikato
2 London Street
Hamilton

07 838 2660
0800 436 628
www.trustwaikato.co.nz

July 10th - 18th, 2010

Venue: Solscape Eco-Retreat, Raglan
Bookings and enquries contact Nelson Lebo - nfl2@waikato.ac.nz

This course is not an "Advanced Permaculture Design Certificate." It is a chance for those who have taken a PDC to advance their design abilities and learn some important resiliency skills. Each workshop is designed to combine theory and practice while 'up-skilling' participants through hands-on learning. Themes introduced in the first workshop are visited over and over in subsequent workshops in a looping model of instruction.

However, each day can also stand alone as a distinct high quality educational opportunity. As much as possible, each day is designed to respond to participant's needs and interests. Class time is limited to 5 - 6 hours daily to prevent information overload, to allow participants to go for a walk on the beach or in the bush, to read more deeply into topics, or simply to be in a beautiful place with like-minded, hopeful people.

July 10th) Advanced permaculture design: Maximizing beneficial relationships
11th) The essentials of green home design
12th) Low cost, high results, eco-renovation
13th) Solar cookers and solar cooking
14th) Day Off
15th) Human-scale swales, rain gardens and plumbing basics
16th) Chicken tractors and rotational chicken yards
17th) Maximizing vegetable production while minimizing inputs
18th) Best tools and proper techniques, plus important knots and how to tie them

By any standard, the tuition for this course is low for an unsubsidized program. In order to minimize finances from being a barrier for anyone to attend, participants will be involved in cooking and cleaning the simple lunches and dinners we will share. BYO breakfast and tea snacks.

 1 to 3 days  Tent or van space = $60 per day
Shared accommodation = $70 per day

 4 or more consecutive days  Tent or van space = $55 per day
Shared accommodation = $65 per day

Email for rates on private rooms.

Daily workshop descriptions:

Advanced permaculture design: Maximizing beneficial relationships

Many people feel overwhelmed by a belief that permaculture is a set of rules to follow, latin names to memorize, and encyclopedic knowledge to acquire. In fact, permaculture is a way of seeing. It is about recognizing and maximizing beneficial relationships, while minimizing harmful relationships and protecting against shocks from outside forces beyond our control. This workshop uses concept mapping and other exercises to develop systems thinking skills, and introduces 4 dimensional design, both of which are essential to high quality permaculture design work.

 The essentials of green home design

While engineering tables may be complex, the basics of eco-design a simple and science-based. Understanding how energy moves through a home is a necessary prerequisite to working toward an eco-design of your own or hiring a professional. Having a robust eco-design vocabulary will allow you to interview architects, engineers and builders as an educated consumer to make sure you will be getting what you want. Knowledge is power. We'll look at a number of green designs at Solscape and identify successes and failures.

 Low cost, high results, eco-renovation

This workshop is geared toward the DIY approach to eco-renovation. If you are not in a position to build new, there are many affordable ways to improve the energy performance of your existing home. We will use a number of older Solscape structures to explore what approaches are appropriate for different pre-existing conditions, and how to identify the 'low hanging fruit' in order to prioritize investments with future savings.

Solar cookers and solar cooking

The day will be spent building and using different solar cookers. A materials fee may apply if you want to take one home.

 Human-scale swales, rain gardens and plumbing basics

Retaining water on the landscape in times of excess is like money in the bank for times of drought. Climate change is predicted to cause extremes in both directions, but a cheap way to build resilience at home is with swales and rain gardens. Many PDC grads feel swales are only appropriate for giant swaths of dry land in Australia, but we have built a high-performing human-swale at Solscape that turns a liability into an asset. We will cover the step by step construction of a human-scale swale and rain garden, as well as learn some practical plumbing basics.

Chicken tractors and rotational chicken yards

These are two ways to harness animal energy to clear land for a veggie patch or food forest. We will use locally-available materials to design and build one or both of these at Solscape.

Maximizing vegetable production while minimizing inputs

Over the last decade I have taken every opportunity to learn and trial approaches to annual vegetable production that minimize inputs of labor and/or money while maximizing food production. Good 4 dimensional design combined with the right tools, timing and techniques have produced very impressive results. I have been running this workshop for 3 years with excellent response from participants. We will use the Solscape garden as we combine theory and practice.

Best tools and proper techniques, plus important knots and how to tie them

Knowing what tool to use, how to use it, and when to use it can save you hours and hours of labor. Keeping tools clean, sharp and well-oiled ensures high performance and durability. We'll spend the day talking about tools, using tools and caring for tools. A rope is an awesome tool, but poor knots can mean low performance or even disasters. I've found that just 2 knots take care of 90 % of my regular needs. We'll practice these over and over, and also learn a handful of others.

Environmental Community Group Expo Thursday 10th June

Register now! only $15 for the day including lunch.
Venue: Hamilton Gardens pavilion.
Register online

Workshops:

Successful Fundraising
Find out what funders want, how to report, and a hands-on assessment of funding applications. With: Trust Waikato, Hamilton City Council, Environment Waikato, & COGS.

Managing your group, Governance, Roles & Conflict
Looking at how your group works, dynamics, roles, resolving issues. Workshop case studies on conflict. With: Lynne Wilkins Bizworx.

 Practical Planning & Sustainable Strategies
How to plan ahead, keeping your group and project sustainable, vision, mission statement & reporting. With: Lynne Wilkins- Bizworx

Effective Meetings & Processes
Getting the most out of meetings, people, reaching goals, setting time frames, making things happen. With Michelle Frank, Agenda to Action.

Getting into the Media
What makes a good story? How to advertise your events, news, and promote your group. With Reporter Jeff Neems - Waikato Times.

Time for Networking
Enquiries: phone the Environment Centre 839 4452 or Rachael 0212615759

Thursday 10th June
Forest and Bird talk at Hamilton Gardens 7.30pm

Dave Wills will speak about the Kiwi project at Otanewainuku, which is a successful community project not too far south from Tauranga, which Waikato Forest and Bird visited last year.
Al Fleming will compliment Dave's talk with an update about the Kaimai Mamaku campaign.This will include insight into the recently released "State of the Environment" report on the Kaimai Mamaku forest and surrounding catchments. There is a CD copy of the report in the Environment Centre.

 Mangakotukutuku Streamcare group - dates

This year's planting dates are now up on the stream care group website (www.streamcare.org.nz).

* Saturday 12 June 3-4.30 pm - Planting along the stream. Meet at Peacockes Road

* Saturday 10 July 3-4.30 pm - Planting along the stream. Meet at Peacockes Road
* Saturday 14 August 3.00-4.30 pm - Planting along the stream. Meet at Peacockes Road

 This year we will be focussing on the main part of the stream flowing through Sandford Park upstream of Peacockes Road. The council has about 2,000 plants for us so we will need as much help as we can get over these dates. Please mark them in your calendar and invite friends, family and workmates along to help out.

Mangakotukutuku Stream Care Group
Enhancing the biodiversity and health of urban streams
www.streamcare.org.nz

CMaG ARAZPA Conference 8 - 10 June 2010

Being held in Hamilton 8 - 10 June, with Creative Conservation as the main theme, hosted by Hamilton Zoo and Otorohanga Kiwi House.

CMaG: ARAZPA NZ is the New Zealand branch of the regional zoo and aquarium association - ARAZPA (the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria).
CMaG is the Conservation Management Group.

Keynote addresses will be given on Conservation Advocacy by Al Morrison, Director-General of DoC and on "Progress in Bringing Indigenous Biodiversity  Back into Hamilton city" by Prof Bruce Clarkson.

Please find attached pdf Conference registration and information.

CMaG CONFERENCE 2010.doc

News from the Environment Centre AGM:

Congratulations to our new trustees:
Jason Cargo, Helen Percy-Kessels, Marianna Tyler, Mairi Jay, Aaron Fleming, Mary-Beth Acres, and Carmel Mangan.
Those already on the trust and returning are Liz Hallsworth, Bruce Graham and Pamela Storey.

It was also agreed that the name of the centre is to change. The legal name will be Waikato Environment Centre Trust, trading as Waikato Environment Centre.
The reasoning behind this is that we are now working more  regionally through receiving funding from Trust Waikato.

Our membership subs are now set as follows:
Unwaged: $15
Individual: $35
Community groups: $70 plus GST
Corporate: minimum $200 plus GST.
Membership renewals will be sent out shortly to those that are due.

If anyone is interested in joining the Environment Centre please do so via the website www.envirocentre.org.nz or contact the Centre for a membership form.

Teacher resource and Butterfly information:

Following on from the very informative talk from Rob Herd, at the AGM,  there is an excellent website with more information about NZ butterflies and heaps else  Science Learning Hub, at a free site for teachers which showcases New Zealand science research. The Hub is funded by the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology.

 We've just added a science story all about New Zealand butterflies. The story has a number of articles, a couple of lovely Power Point presentations, and some activities on tagging, transects, and raising white butterflies to observe its life cycle (which is different to that of the Monarch). Our focus is on citizen science and how everyone can get involved in researching where Monarchs overwinter. Our materials are for use in the primary school but provide lots of background information about native and endemic butterflies. The articles also give information on how to get involved with the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust's tagging project.

Environment Centre 2010 AGM
Tuesday 5.30pm

All welcome
In the Environment Centre, 25 Ward St.

5.30: AGM
6pm Speaker: Rob Herd
"Resident NZ Butterflies of the Central North Island"

Rob is a butterfly enthusiast who has bred butterflies, and will talk about butterflies of this area and what to do to attract them.

A recent book, Silent Summer, by 40 leading British ecologists, has highlighted the negative impacts of humanity on the insect world in the UK, with butterflies being hardest hit. David Attenborough, in the foreword warns that such organisms make up the foundations of our ecosystems.

So come along and find out how you can help to keep our populations up in our community.

 Refreshments will be available

Late notice I know but it is great to be spontaneous!

Japanese movie this evening - notice from Don Bethune, who will be there handing out some backgrounder leaflets on Pete Bethune's predicament. He is happy to provide more info on Pete to anyone interested, and his phone is 846-5569.

Japanese film to be shown in L-Block Theatre, this evening 7-oo pm, The dialogue is English, it relates to a couple's desire for a Dream House, with the assistance of an eccentric Architect. It is said to be under the heading of Comedy, and has been nominated for a number of awards. There is no charge or booking needed.

Regards , Don Bethune

********************************************************

Bellbirds
Note - check out www.ew.govt.nz the night before for an update

It didn't happen last week due to an unexpected health issue, but now that our bellbird friends are on the road to recovery, we're hoping to release them this weekend. We hope you can join us!

Bellbird release

Bellbirds haven't been seen in Hamilton for over 100 years. Now a multi-agency programme led by Landcare Research and the University of Waikato (assisted by Environment Waikato), is to release bellbirds from Auckland’s Tiritiri Matangi and Tawharanui bird sanctuaries into the Hamilton Gardens, with the aim of ultimately building up a breeding population in the city.

Bring the family and join us for the historic release of bellbirds into Te Parapara Garden

Where: Te Parapara Garden at The Hamilton Gardens
When: Sunday, 16 May at 8am

If for any reason the bellbirds aren't able to be brought from Auckland, a postponement notice will be on Environment Waikato's website www.ew.govt.nz by 5pm Saturday evening.

Retrofitting an existing home

May 18th: 6:30pm - 9pm, evening workshop , $10
Improve the energy efficiency of an existing home. Learn how to make your home warm, comfortable, healthy and energy efficient through insulation, ventilation, curtains, addressing condensation and other changes which mean big energy gains.
Presented by Ian Mayes, Hamilton City Council’s Eco Design Advisor

Materials

Tuesday May 25, 6:30-9pm, evening workshop, $10
or
Saturday August 7th, 9:30-4pm, one day workshop, Wintec Hamilton, $20

From the framing to exterior cladding to interior floors and wall claddings, you’ll learn about the issue of toxicity of products used in housing and the alternatives available for all aspects, inside and out. An important part of the materials consideration is the minimisation of waste during the build by incorporating it into the design stage.
Presented by Ian Mayes, Hamilton City Council’s Eco Design Advisor

All enquiries to Megan Edmeades, megan@greenme.org.nz
Phone 021 414 529