Maungatautari Ecological Island

Reminder: this Friday evening  (4 November 2011) 7 kiwi are off to their new home near Inglewood.  If you would like to be part of their rehoming, then please confirm by end of today: mail@maungatrust.org.

Tamahere Community Nursery

Devine Road, Tamahere 3283

1.30pm - 3.30pm Sunday, 6 November 2011

Wayne Bennett Coordinator of Ecosourced Waikato and of Forest Flora will be running a session offering a practical exercise in pricking out seedlings. If you have ever wondered about the right stage to pot seedlings, the size of pot into which to transfer them, and how to handle them, then come along. In the process you will help us to pot seedlings for future plantings.

Jan Simmons jsimmons@doc.govt.nz (on behalf of Tamahere Gully Care/Ecosourced Waikato)

Living Streets

Our third Sunday stroll is this Sunday 6 November 2011, 2pm at the cenotaph on Memorial Drive.

Walk will follow the river path to the Hamilton Gardens and back.  Allowing for an icecream or coffee at the Gardens Cafe, the round trip is likely to take 2 hours to complete.  The rose gardens might even be flowering!

judy.c.mcdonald@gmail.com

Royal Society of New Zealand Talk Series: Facing the Future

(see http://www.rsnzwaikato.org/talkseries)

Free, all welcome

7.30pm Tuesday 8 November 2011 

Waikato University, Room S.G.01 – entry via either Gate 1 on Knighton Road or Gate 8 on Hillcrest Road, Hamilton

 ‘The Dilemma of Biofuels’ by Professor Hugh Morgan (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato)

Bioethanol is certainly a renewable fuel, but doubts are now expressed over the sustainability of the biomass feedstock for conversion. Professor Morgan outlines the rationale for using lignocellulose feedstocks for biofuel production and the difficulties inherent in using this feedstock, and discuss some current research on the huhu grub aimed at more easily degrading lignocelluloses, as well as alternative means of utilising lignocelluloses, which might displace our use of biofuels.

7.30pm, Thursday 10 November 2011

Chartwell Room, Hamilton Gardens

'Denniston Plateau Conservation land - threatened by open-cast mining'

Presentation provides factual information on this unique environment, and Forest and Bird’s opposition to the mining company gaining consent to destroy it.

PLUS: Valder Grant Recipient Presentations

Lilian Valder and her sister, who farmed on the slopes of Mt Pirongia, bequeathed to Forest and Bird Waikato Branch a forested part of their farm in 1963, now named the Walter Scott Reserve. Lilian also left assets from which the Waikato branch annually funds worthwhile conservation projects and covenants.

Three 2010 recipients of Valder Grants will tell us about their research projects.

Enquiries: Jane 07 856 2505

Sustainable Waikato public meeting tonight

(held by Engineers for Social Responsibility Waikato-BOP Branch and Royal Society of New Zealand Waikato Branch)

Tuesday 1 November 2011

7 pm - 8.30 pm

University of Waikato campus: S Block, Room SG.01 building opposite the new Library, Parking Gate 7, Hillcrest Road and Gate 1 Knighton Road, Hamilton.

An opportunity to question Hamilton parliamentary candidates on their views and intended policy directions.

Chairman: Barry Coates, Executive Director, Oxfam NZ

Contacts: Norm Stannard Secretary ESRNZ Waikato Branch, 07 855 6579 and Paul Taylor President, RSNZ Waikato Branch 07 854 7722.

Hamilton Permaculture Trust AGM

Thursday 3 November 2011, 6pm

Waikato Environment Centre, Level One, 25 Ward Street, Hamilton

Alex Kravchenko, Ukranian-born web eco-enonomist studying at Waikato University, will talk about issues such as food security, water scarcity and quality in New Zealand, as well as his new website www.homegrownmaps.com which he created since coming to New Zealand. The website encourages access for local food producers and consumers.

Supper will be provided. All welcome.

Please confirm your attendance to: permaham@actrix.co.nz or 07 834 2249

Waikato River Trails Grand Opening

5 November 2011

Walking or Cycling Event:

8km or 14km walk, or 14km bike ride

Whakamaru Reserve (mid-way along the north side of Whakamaru Lake, on Ongaroto Road, State Highway 30).

 For full details and registration, see forms attached to this notice or visit  www.waikatorivertrails.com

Waikato River Trails Opening Day Registration Form.pdf

Waikato River Trails Grand Opening Flyer-1.pdf

WRT Grand Opening Location Map.pdf

Waikato Biodiversity Forum

Monday 28 November 2011

Community Events Centre, Woollams Ave, Coromandel

This is an opportunity to increase your knowledge of the management of endangered species on the Coromandel Peninsula, and meet with others who undertake biodiversity work and share stories on successes, challenges and solutions for species protection

Registration by Wednesday 23 November 2011. Registration form, attached, can be submitted by:

Email to Moira at m.cursey@xtra.co.nz, phone 07 846 5066 or 027 22232191, or post to Moira Cursey, 31 Friesian Place, Hamilton.

Waikato Biodiversity Forum.pdf

Tomorrow (Thursday 27 October 2011, 7.30pm)
Chartwell Room, Hamilton Gardens

We have secured a good turn-out of candidates from across the political spectrum.  Each party will be asked to nominate a candidate to speak for 5 minutes on the following: 

‘Dealing with the effects of climate change offers major challenges as well as opportunities for all nations.  What opportunities does your party think climate change offers New Zealand, in terms of long term environmental sustainability and a better society, keeping in mind maintaining fairness in the distribution of the effects of climate change?’

You'll then have an opportunity to put questions to individual candidates.

Bring your questions!

Supper served at the end.

5.30 – 7.00 pm Monday 14 November 2011

Waikato Environment Centre, Level one, 25 Ward St, Hamilton

“Is Maungatautari restoring pollination and dispersal services to native plants?” Jenie Isles

Jenie Iles is an MSc student at Canterbury University. For her thesis, Jenie investigates whether the eradication of mammalian predators from Maungatautari is restoring bird services to native plants. She examined the pollination and dispersal of tree fuchsia, and seed dispersal of tawa and miro at Maungatautari and Pirongia.

Following the talk we’ll have dinner at a nearby restaurant for those who would like to join us for more discussion.

Queries: Cynthia Roberts croberts@doc.govt.nz; 07 858 1034 (day) or 07 849 4935 (evening).

Saturday  29  October  2011
9 am - 12 noon

Waikwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, cnr Baverstock/Brymer Roads.

Dinsdale, Hamilton. Meet on Baverstock Road entrance, near the signage. BYO gumboots, spades, gloves and morning  tea. 

Enquiries to Moira Cursey 07 846 5066,  m.cursey@xtra.co.nz

Saturday 5 November 2011: Tawarau Forest, Waitomo

Grade: Medium

Leader: Thomas Emmitt temmitt@doc.govt.nz. or ph 07 878 1080 (wk) or 07 878 4737 (hm)

Sunday 13 November 2011: Kayaking Raglan Harbour

Trip duration: approx 3.5 hours

Meet Bow Street jetty, Raglan 9:45am (or depart Hamilton 8:45 am). From the jetty we will paddle across to the Te Akau side of Raglan harbour to explore the limestone coast and its unique flora. Bring a packed lunch and kayaking clothing. Single kayak hire is $40 and double $60.

Text Fiona Clarkson 0212529187 or emailfmc3@waikato.ac.nz if you wish to join this expedition. Single kayak hire is $40 and double $60. Alternative bad-weather date is Sunday 27 November 2011.