MERRY XMAS EVERYONE and thank you for your support in our very busy year!

NEW IN STORE

Small water tops for watering those tender plants

FUNDING WORKSHOPS

IMPORTANT!!!! NZ on high alert for this disease MYRTLE RUST threat after 2014-2015 incursions into Indonesia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and New Caledonia,

Refer to Department of Conservation ALERT

http://blog.doc.govt.nz/2015/12/07/keep-pohutukawa-healthy/

As you’re lying under your favourite pohutukawa tree this summer, look up. If you see any yellow spots on leaves, flower buds (or fruits of myrtaceae), reach for your phone, take a photo and call the Ministry of Primary Industries https://www.mpi.govt.nz/ (MPI) hotline—0800 80 99 660800 80 99 66. http://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/finding-and-reporting-pests-and-diseases/report-a-pest-or-disease/

Don’t hesitate, and don’t touch it! If it is myrtle rust (Pucinnia psidii), a fungus that attacks Myrtaceae species (including rata, manuka, kanuka, ramarama, eucalyptus, guava and feijoa), it will be as mobile as talcum powder.

If you are off to Australia, New Caledonia or Indonesia at Christmas, make extra certain your shoes, bag and equipment are clean before coming home.

Myrtle_Rust_Fact_Sheet[1].pdf

Auckland Council Information & Advice Myrtle Rust May 2014.pdf

MERRY XMAS FROM THE HOGS TEAM

Attached recipe for Chocolate Ecstasy Cake was in the latest Organic NZ magazine.This recipe is full of healthy good stuff. It's dairy-free, gluten-free and suitable for vegans too. I made one to test it out before Christmas. It was pretty good. Next time I'll use raspberries instead of orange juice for extra zing.

It's been a great year for HOGS. Thanks to everyone for sharing your gardens, your knowledge, your plants and produce and asking questions. There's always more to learn! We have some great gardens lined up to visit next year so hope you can make it along.

Happy holidays and Happy Organic gardening

ATTACHED  is the schedule for Hamilton City network meeting dates for 2016.

West Hamilton Network Meeting dates are in blue and under West. Our first meeting is scheduled in March 2016.

2016 Hamilton Community Network meetings Calendar.pdf

Christmas Hours at

The Waikato Environment Centre

Don’t forget to Pop in this  Thursday evening   5pm to 7pm for Xmas Drinks!!!

NZ Conservation Calendars are Now Available In store

THE NEW ZEALAND TREE PROJECT 2015 EXHIBITION - RAMP GALLERY

The NZ Tree Project exhibition is an incredible experience showing RIGHT NOW at Wintec's RAMP gallery.

What: NZ Tree Project Exhibition

http://www.nztreeproject.com/#first-stop

Where: RAMP Gallery, Collingwood St, Hamiltonhttp://www.rampgallery.co.nz/?p=3761

When: 3-7pm Weds, Thurs, Fri this week (16th-18th Dec)

Including a 4 metre rimu portrait, a 30 min documentary about Pureora Forest and gallery of incredible images, this exhibition is a stunning celebration of our natural heritage.

The New Zealand Tree Project features on the cover of this month's NZ Geographic magazine and is touring NZ museums for the next two years. Beautiful posters are for sale, making great Christmas presents and helping a good cause.

Please tell your friends and family about this unique experience, we look forward to seeing you and your family there!

Catherine Kirby

NZ Tree Project coordinator

WATERWISE GARDENING FREE WORKSHOP AT THE GRANDVIEW COMMUNITY GARDEN

Friday December 18th 4pm to 5.30pm

• the best way to plant to reduce watering

• how to collect and store water

• which plants do best in the dry

• how to use mulch

sign up to receive an info sheet of waterwise tips

All welcome to this free workshop. Donation appreciated

thanks to support from WEL Energy Trust

DIRECTIONS

Park on the street at 180 Grandview Road. Walk up the footpath to the farm gate and come in. You will see the community garden as you walk across the grass.

Community Garden Mentor Team 0210387623

It's the silly season at the centre and you're invited!

YOU and YOURS, those fabulous people who make the world a better place, are invited to free drinks and nibbles, Thursday the 17th of December, 5-7pm at the Waikato Environment Centre - 242 Peachgrove Rd, Hamilton.

Come and chit chat with the team, unwind, reflect on 2015 and dream big dreams for 2016...mostly we'd just like to see you!

Great Christmas shopping in store also - come and grab some Christmas Undies...Thunderpants - they are hot to trot!

FROM The Team at  Waikato Environment Centre

The LATEST FROM DODO PUZZELS

    NOW AT THE ENVIRONMENT CENTRE

Includes : Eyeballs, Eco-glue, Instruction guide

Assembly takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour

Each individual piece is numbered

Just glue together in numerical sequence

Non-toxic glue and instructions included

LAST POTTING MORNNG FOR 2015

Our last potting morning for the year will be on FRIDAY 11th December at the Tamahere

Nursery (Devine Rd, off Airport Rd, next to Tamahere School Hall) from 9am-12 noon.

Morning tea will be supplied.

Thanks in anticipation and for all your hard work this year.

Catherine Smith

Barry and Catherine Smith

Phones +6478558296+6478558296 or 021436633 blchsmiths@gmail.com

STAND WITH SARAH FOR THE CLIMATE

Sarah Thomson is courageously taking the government to court to review their climate change target. Please help with her costs.

Please pass on through your networks, facebook, tweets etc.

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/standwithsarahfortheclimate/

Stand with Sarah for the Climate

Registration for the 2016 IPENZ Transportation Group Conference is now open. 

This is New Zealand's premier forum for the traffic engineering, road safety and transportation planning community.  This is a conference arranged by and for industry professionals and is intended to stimulate debate and problem-solving amongst peers.

Over the course of the conference – March 7th-9th 2016 at the Pullman Hotel, Auckland – we are confident you will enjoy and be enlightened by the distinguished keynote lectures, the invited panel discussions and broad range of speakers. A key benefit of conference attendance is the ability to network with a wide range of transportation professionals from across NZ. We also encourage you to attend some or all of our key daily events which make for an interesting and innovative conference.http://www.ipenztgconference.co.nz/keyevents/

Waikato Environment Centre will be there!!!!

9am to 1pm at  Celebrating Age Centre, Victoria Street South

HELP PLEASE

My friend's mum Sonya is moving house to a smaller apartment as she has cancer. She needs to weed her gully before she moves. Unfortunately due to her ill health she is unable to do this at this time. I was hoping you might forward this email around your networks and volunteers, and I will forward it to other gully weeding/planting groups.

We are having a weeding morning on Saturday the 5th of December from 9am until 12pm (or earlier if it is finished earlier) for her section of the gully. People are more than welcome to come late or leave early, as suits them. We are hoping to have as many people come along to help as possible.

Here is a link to the facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/183925555285634/

LIVING STREETS REMINDER THAT POSSIBLE DESIGNS FOR THE RIVERBANK DEVELOPMENT ARE NOW AVAILABLE

Just in case any of you haven't received this information from another source, a reminder that you can view the possible designs from the three architectural design teams involved with the riverbank development at the museum until December 6, or online at

www.hamiltoncityriverplan.co.nz

THE TINDALL FOUNDATION ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THIS FILM

The Tindall Foundation is committed to supporting organisations and causes that care for our environment and promote biodiversity. A recent example of our interest in and concern for climate change, was the funding of the award winning film New Zealand/UK film.

Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science

Tune in at 8am,

Saturday 5 December  on TV ONE

As world leaders meet this week in Paris for United Nations Climate Change Conference, TV One is screening this thought-provoking, highly acclaimed film.

.

WALK AND CYCLE 2016 CONFERENCE

Join us in Auckland, July 2016

Following the success of the 2014 conference with a record audience of 200 delegates, the 2WALKandCYCLE 2016 Conference programme will focus on balancing our extensive car travel network with better provision for walking and cycling. Therefore promoting active, human-powered transport to achieve healthier, smarter and more liveable cities.

We invite you to submit a paper/s, which will be selected on the basis of quality of abstract, originality, topicality and relevance to the 2016 theme of "moving toward healthy communities".

There will be a variety of presentation formats available, which will be decided at the discretion of the Conference Committee. Where appropriate, we encourage an AV or video component to engage the audience.

Submissions close 1 February 2016.

More Information http://www.2walkandcycle.org.nz/

BOTANICAL SOCIETY KAIMANAWA TRIP

I am running the Kaimanawa Trip on the 5th and 6th of December.

This is a combined trip with the Rotorua Botanical Society.Â

027 747 0733 or 07 855 9700 or km8j1s@gmail.com

Some of us are going to be staying at the DOC campsite overnight on Friday night.

The DOC campsite located about 5kms up Kaimanawa Road (turn right after 3.5 km and follow the signs).

Kaimanawa Road is about 16kms south of Turangi. There is stream water at the site.

If you wish to come for just 1 day that is fine - just let me know.

am running the Kaimanawa Trip on the 5th and 6th of December.

Please let me know if you are coming on the trip.

027 747 0733 or 07 855 9700 or km8j1s@gmail.com

WAIKATO BOTANICAL SOCIETY END OF YEAR: Monday 7th December 6:00 PM

The format will be similar to previous years. We will provide drinks and nibbles.

There is an opportunity for you to bring 10 photos to show off in 5 minutes. (This is optional)

This doesn't have to be botanically related - Â it can photos and short talk of somewhere interesting that you have been.

Just put your pictures on a memory stick and bring them along  (or email them to me)

the venue has been confirmed as the Community Waikato Rooms at 33 Victoria Street  (where we usually meet).

If you are coming please let me know.

Kerry Jones

027 747 0733

HELP PLEASE

My friend's mum Sonya is moving house to a smaller apartment as she has cancer. She needs to weed her gully before she moves. Unfortunately due to her ill health she is unable to do this at this time. I was hoping you might forward this email around your networks and volunteers, and I will forward it to other gully weeding/planting groups.

We are having a weeding morning on Saturday the 5th of December from 9am until 12pm (or earlier if it is finished earlier) for her section of the gully. People are more than welcome to come late or leave early, as suits them. We are hoping to have as many people come along to help as possible.

Here is a link to the facebook event:https://www.facebook.com/events/183925555285634/

LIVING STREETS REMINDER THAT POSSIBLE DESIGNS FOR THE RIVERBANK DEVELOPMENT ARE NOW AVAILABLE

Just in case any of you haven't received this information from another source, a reminder that you can view the possible designs from the three architectural design teams involved with the riverbank development at the museum until December 6, or online at

www.hamiltoncityriverplan.co.nz

THE TINDALL FOUNDATION ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH THIS FILM

The Tindall Foundation is committed to supporting organisations and causes that care for our environment and promote biodiversity. A recent example of our interest in and concern for climate change, was the funding of the award winning film New Zealand/UK film.

Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science

Tune in at 8am,

Saturday 5 December  on TV ONE

As world leaders meet this week in Paris for United Nations Climate Change Conference, TV One is screening this thought-provoking, highly acclaimed film.

.

WALK AND CYCLE 2016 CONFERENCE

Join us in Auckland, July 2016

Following the success of the 2014 conference with a record audience of 200 delegates, the 2WALKandCYCLE 2016 Conference programme will focus on balancing our extensive car travel network with better provision for walking and cycling. Therefore promoting active, human-powered transport to achieve healthier, smarter and more liveable cities.

We invite you to submit a paper/s, which will be selected on the basis of quality of abstract, originality, topicality and relevance to the 2016 theme of "moving toward healthy communities".

There will be a variety of presentation formats available, which will be decided at the discretion of the Conference Committee. Where appropriate, we encourage an AV or video component to engage the audience.

Submissions close 1 February 2016.

More Information http://www.2walkandcycle.org.nz/

BOTANICAL SOCIETY KAIMANAWA TRIP

I am running the Kaimanawa Trip on the 5th and 6th of December.

This is a combined trip with the Rotorua Botanical Society.Â

027 747 0733027 747 0733 or 07 855 970007 855 9700 or km8j1s@gmail.com

Some of us are going to be staying at the DOC campsite overnight on Friday night.

The DOC campsite located about 5kms up Kaimanawa Road (turn right after 3.5 km and follow the signs).

Kaimanawa Road is about 16kms south of Turangi. There is stream water at the site.

If you wish to come for just 1 day that is fine - just let me know.

am running the Kaimanawa Trip on the 5th and 6th of December.

Please let me know if you are coming on the trip.

027 747 0733027 747 0733 or 07 855 970007 855 9700 or km8j1s@gmail.com

WAIKATO BOTANICAL SOCIETY END OF YEAR: Monday 7th December 6:00 PM

The format will be similar to previous years. We will provide drinks and nibbles.

There is an opportunity for you to bring 10 photos to show off in 5 minutes. (This is optional)

This doesn't have to be botanically related - Â it can photos and short talk of somewhere interesting that you have been.

Just put your pictures on a memory stick and bring them along  (or email them to me)

the venue has been confirmed as the Community Waikato Rooms at 33 Victoria Street  (where we usually meet).

If you are coming please let me know.

Kerry Jones

027 747 0733027 747 0733

Food glorious food is our our conversation topic for this series

7pm to 8.30pm Thursday 3 December at the Environment Centre

Food, essential for life, health and enjoyment but is our food as wholesome as we would like to believe? Our food choices impact our health and the health of the environment.

So how can we make the best choices when there are so many pressures such as time, advertising, cost, skills and even our culture. Come along to our conversation and we will discuss this and some fun healthy food possibilities. Camilla from Ooooby will be there to help us engage with this important topic. There will be some taste testing too. What a good way to finish off our last conversation in this series!

Just RSVP to Tania   tania@envirocentre.org.nz and come on down!

(There is parking at the back)