Milling

The plan is to do some milling on 28 Dec, weather permitting, out Whangarei Heads way if anyone is interested.
There will only be 4 logs - a lusitanica, 2 dealbata & a nitens, none of which are all that large - largest might be 450mm DBH, all around 5 metres long
Cheers, David Colley

Whangarei A&P Show Stand

Our branch will have a stand at the Whangarei A&P Show this weekend, 3rd and 4th December.
It would be nice if members pop in and say hello, even nicer if you can lend a hand for a short time. All helpers are invited to a barbeque after the show on Sunday.
Please RSVP by Wednesday if you can help - Secretary Janet.

Invite to Whangarei Heads Trapping Workshop – November 13

The NZ Landcare Trust and Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum are holding another Trappers Workshop -

Parua Bay School Hall on Sunday the 13th of November, starting 1pm.

Program will be similar to earlier workshops, below.

RSVP to me by 8 November to secure a place;
see PDF file WHLF trapper workshop flyer.

Invite to Tutukaka Trapping Workshop – October 30

The NZ Landcare Trust and Tutukaka Landcare Coalition are holding a Trappers Workshop at the Ngunguru Memorial Hall on Sunday the 30th of October, starting at 1pm. Your invite is attached with all the details.

Professional trappers – Pete Mitchell from the Bream Head Conservation Trust, and Todd Hamilton from the Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum – will be sharing their best tips for successful trapping, discussing the best places to locate your traps to get maximum effects, how to maintain and look after your traps.

We will be focusing on kill trapping possums and mustelids (ferrets, stoats and weasels) and looking at some of the newer possum traps including the Sentinel and Trapinator. There will be traps for sale, and time to either walk down a trapline with Clayton McInnes (professional trapper for the Tutukaka Landcare Coalition), or learn how to set traps with some hands-on trapping demonstrations.

This workshop is for you if you have some traps and want to know how to get the most out of them.

RSVP to me by 25 October to secure a place.

Regards

Ngaire Tyson
Biodiversity Coordinator
Northland
NZ Landcare Trust
I work Mondays and Tuesday between 10am-3.30pm – 430 0954
landcare.org.nz

PS: NZ Landcare Trust and Whangarei Heads Landcare Forum will be holding a similar workshop on Sunday 13 November at Whangarei Heads if that suits you better.

Where:
Wharepuke Subtropical Garden (Kerikeri Rd, near the Stone Store and Kemp House, Kerikeri). Rain or shine.
You need to have pre-booked for this with Roy - SORRY - BOOKED OUT!
There will now be a picnic lunch at the Kerikeri Basin Reserve.
Due to the change of venue for lunch, it will probably be easier if people bring their own picnic lunch on Sunday (i.e. not a shared lunch). A drink and something to sit on would be a good idea too.
Then:
We are growing a range seed lines in the nursery so could people please clean any soil from their shoes/boots beforehand to prevent the spread of disease - Thanks, Roy.
Drive to Roy's at State Highway 1, Ohaeawai for a shared lunch and guided tour.
Bring:
your lunch, a drink and a seat
$5 for entry to Wharepuke

What:
Yes it’s that time again- ‘out with the knives’, there’s grafting to be done.
Any of you who have taken advantage of the rootstock ordering will now be ready to learn, relearn, retry, practice, or master that all important skill of creating a new tree. For those who haven’t any rootstock, good practice can be made on other types of wood. It is our intention to graft some trees for the sub branch’s tree sale next year.
Rootstock ordering - open PDF file
Where:
Grant and Jackie’s, Whatitiri Rd, Maungatapere.
You will need to bring:-

1. Scion wood (well wrapped); either that which has been ordered by Treecrop members (you will be in the know and contacted well before this date) or that special apple or pear you know everyone will want, well labeled and accurate.
2. Knives, grafting tape, grafting wax, secateurs, labels, sticking plasters.
3. Contribution for lunch/BBQ available.

Note:- As with last year, a list of available apple and pear varieties of scion wood that members have, will be emailed to you in July for you to make a choice from. Anyone who was not on that list, but who wishes to be, please contact me with the varieties you have available.

What:
How do you begin to get your foot in the small scale food production door?
Do you join or form a co-operative?
Go it alone? Or get some insight from friends?
Janine’s obviously had just these thoughts and has found some answers. Is she alone or are there others out there who can lend some expertise to the subject?  She has been selling her own plum based sauces and jam at the growers market and at the fudge farm shop at the town basin.  
Janine wrote…
“I have an idea for a talk I could do for the tree crops group some time.  More like a workshop...on selling your product.  Mainly about identifying what you could sell that you grow and thinking of a name, designing a label etc.  It would be a good indoors winter topic. At our place we have a small plum orchard with a very successful possum-proof electric fence, and we are growing fodder willows, walnuts and pecans as well.”
Where:
Janine's, Hukerenui Rd.
Don’t forget the lunch table contribution. Bring your note paper and colouring in pencils, and any examples of labels you think are great.

What:
Food for thought and food for the belly, they say an army marches on its belly. Well I hope with the necessary food our treecrop members will come up with some amazing ideas for what we can achieve over the next 12 months. We don’t want too many chiefs and not enough Indians, but some co-ordination and planning will not go astray.
Please bring a plate of main course for brain food (something hot or can be heated, catering facilities are good)
And a just dessert of quips and anecdotes (hot or cold or cake).
Salubrious vocal lubrication will be supplied.
Great introduction opportunity, for family, relatives and friendly neighbours.
Where:
Kauri hall, Apotu Rd (just off SH 1 Kauri, 5 mins south of Hikurangi and 10 mins north of Kamo).

What:
What is happening to bee populations? And how can we help them to help us?
Following up on what other Treecrops branches have been researching on the best trees and plants to encourage bees and to help care for them during the winter.
Where:
Lynne’s, Matarau Rd. We will enjoy Lynne’s hospitality and her orchard/garden.
Bring along anything you wish to share eg. plant examples, seeds for bee trees, bee stories, a contribution for a pooled lunch.

Above are some early events achieved by the new Northland Branch.