Education Report
It has been another busy month up at the Ecological Centre.
We have had three groups from Trident High school all doing slightly different things. They have had a problem-solving team building day for a group of Year 13 and Year 10 students, as well as a three-day camp with a group of students that are preparing for a five week trip the Great Barrier Island later in the year. The final group of students were doing an assessment in which they did a four-hour adventure race on the roads and farms around the centre.
Whakatane Intermediate Environmental class has also just been up, and they have started the planting of the Jones block of land next to the centre. We plan to plant more that 500 trees in this area over the next few weeks.
It has been nice getting to know the Manawahe area better and I have started to meet more locals.
If you see a group at the school, please call in and see what we are up to.
Helen Dobbin – 021 906132
Project Co-ordinators Report
The supply of trappers continues to fluctuate so we are still a bit short of trappers. The future certainly depends on self setting traps and new technologies.
I have set up a trap and bait station network on a new property on Braemar Road and they are already reporting captures. They are delighted at the support MET has been able to provide.
We have applied for funding from Shayne Jones’ Billion Dollar Tree Project – for replanting the area around MECC and expect to hear shortly about the success of our application. In the meantime I have organised $1000 worth of trees for the Jones property and some are being planted by school groups.
I assisted Helen with two enthusiastic school groups doing presentations on pest management and helping in tree planting.
And thanks to John Dillon who has spent quite a bit of time spraying in the planting area.
Peter Fergusson – 021 0395370
*REMEMBER TO WRITE IT ON YOUR CALENDAR *
Manawahe Eco Trust Annual General Meeting
Sunday 22 September