The Journey Home and Beyond - August 3rd

Our Iwi

Kia Ora! Having been immersed in Kiwi and Maori culture for the past five weeks will make the journey back to American culture another adventure.  Our students will take with them lasting memories of the challenges and opportunities of what not only New Zealand faces, but what the rest of the world faces as well.  Preserving biological diversity, conserving resources, and maintaining a balance between natural and human built environments are key to a sustainable future.  And, it will take all of us with our diverse backgrounds to come together in many different ways to help make lasting change for a bright future.

Dear students, we hope that what you have experienced with us in New Zealand will help shape the decisions you make for our future in exciting and positive ways.  We thank you for giving of yourselves openly with your hearts and minds so that our time together could be such a special learning opportunity for us all.  We have really enjoyed being with all of you, touring the wop-wops, and sharing a daily cuppa. Sweet As!

From the land of the long white cloud, safe and happy travels!  See you in the land of the flowers (La Florida).  With a Hongi and hug to each of you, m&m

Life among the animals, giving poi a go, and a hangi - August 2nd

Tuatara, a living fossil!

Thursday afternoon we experienced Willowbank Reserve.  Willowbank cares for New Zealand wildlife that occurs both naturally in the country as well as species that are part of the country's history (i.e., species that were introduced by colonists over time).  Some of these species are domestic such as chickens and horses, others have become pest species such as wallabies and possums.  The park seeks to educate residents and visitors as to the heritage and challenges New Zealand's animal species bring to the table.  Our tour also included native New Zealand species where we saw our first Tuatara, Kiwi, Takahe, and Morepork. We also got to size up the extinct animals of New Zealand that roamed this wondrous place not too long ago.

An additional tour was to experience Ko Tane - a Maori cultural performance.  I got to be our chief and made sure to let the Maori Village know that we came in peace by accepting their offering and performing a proper Hongi. 

Girls learning a Poi dance

We all had a wonderful time, and our gals got to give Poi a go, and our guys got to give the haka a go as part of the show (they felt well prepared after our private lessons at the Takahenge Marae - thanks Bret).

Following our tours we had a traditional Hangi dinner and had a chance to thank Colin, Tupelo, Jámm and Meryl for their assistance with the course, and of course, the students for their enthusiasm and sense of adventure for making the course a success! 
Cheers, Mark

A Koha of Native Trees, A Mess of Paint, and Singing the Night Away - August 1st

Planting natives along the Avon River

Today was certainly an eclectic mix of activities.  We started out bright and early with a planting of natives along the Avon River just north of Hagley Park in Christchurch as a Koha (thank you gift) to Colin for his time and help with the course.

Getting on the gear for paintball

After lunch, it was the students' choice to take in an afternoon of paintball.

Singing the night away at the Famous Grouse

After dinner, we went to the Famous Grouse for Karaoke night where we cheered on our willing participants.

Cheers, Mark and Meryl

Water Issues and Journals - July 31st

We spent the morning out at Waihora (Lake Ellesmere), New Zealand's fifth largest lake, learning about water issues and the Maori.  Very timely as water rights and the question of "does someone own the water" is very much in the news here right now.  During our morning tea break, we worked on our journals.  Another rainy afternoon was set aside as free time for working on journals. Cheers, Mark

From cheeky Kea to a castle on a hill and the Simpsons? - July 29th

Kea on the Gatorwaka's rearview mirror, Arthur's Pass

Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass

After becoming regulars at Maggies in Greymouth, we headed back toward Lincoln across Arthur’s Pass.  We stopped in Arthur’s Pass proper and enjoyed up close and personal time with the Kea, alpine parrots, before taking in a hike to Devil’s Punchbowl Falls.  

Castle Hill, Arthur's Pass

After we had lunch and drove on to Castle Hill, a spot popular with rock climbers  for its beautiful limestone formations.  The pass was clear and only the peaks of the mountains had snow. While we are not complaining about the warmer winter, we are sure the skiiers are not thinking this, but we were happy for yet another spectacular day! 

Cheers, Mark and Meryl

Doh!  We pass through a town called Springfield on the
way back to Lincoln.  Home of the Simpsons?

Uphill, both ways, 5.5 hours - July 26th

Views to the south and north of the Tasman Sea

Chasing the good weather to the West Coast paid off.  We had to stage a car at the end of the Croesus Track in Barrytown on the coast and then travel all together around to the other side of the mountain in Blackball to start our overnight journey.  Along the way to Barrytown we enjoyed a brilliant morning with the sun glistining off the Tasman Sea and spectacular views of the coastline.

Swing Bridge

Ces Clark Hut just within reach

Our 8.3 mile hike up to the Cess Clark Hut took us across three swing bridges, along a beautiful clear river and eventually, at the top, out of the dense rainforest to tussock and spectacular views of the valley and south toward the Southern Alps.  Along the way we saw the New Zealand Robin, heard a Tui, and as the day wore on we heard what we were after - a Kiwi!

We got settled in at the hut, saw a Weka, and enjoyed our freeze dried dinners.  Some of us ventured out for an evening hike to hear more Kiwi. 

Cheers, Mark and Meryl

Wineries, Sleeper Cars, and Fancy Feasts- July 23rd

The morning began with a lecture from Colin Meurk, discussing ecosystem restoration theory and principles.  He really put into perspective how much more goes into restoration than just planting a few natives and pulling a few weeds.  One statistic that really stood out was that over 50% of New Zealand’s flora is still exotic.  After the lecture it was off to Waipara Valley where we met with Sue McGaw at a local winery, Pegasus Bay.  Here, she walked us through the native flora walkway that volunteers from Lincoln University in cooperation with the winery planted, in their efforts to bring back native flora and fauna to the wineries in the area as part of the Greening Waipara Project.  

Sue showing us the map she drew to discover where certain
flora and fauna could be found within a 5km and 10km radius.

After meeting with Sue, it was off to the Waipara Sleepers where we would spend the night.  Here, we unloaded all of the luggage and got settled into our sleeper cars and huts.  

One of the sleeper cars, housing four people.

After getting situated in our rooms we took a short trip down the road to local fifth-generation sheep farmer, Daryl Harris.  He is not only a commodity trader in sheep, but he owns a winery as well.  Daryl expressed how there is a need for pesticide use to be reduced in the winery business and thus why he supports the native plantings in the area. We then got to see his sheep herding dog Sis, a Huntaway breed, round up all the sheep in the nearby paddock and bring them right over to where we were standing.  It was definitely a memorable experience having sheep sprinting through the grass straight towards everyone.  

Sis loves her owner Daryl.

Sis herding up all the sheep.

Next stop of the day was to Mountford Estate, another local winery.  Here we took a short, yet very steep, hike up the vineyard hill and got a stunning view looking over the winery and countryside.  

Looking out over the winery and the countryside from the top of the hill.

After safely making our way back down the hill it was time for tea at the Waipara Springs café, where a few of us also did a little wine tasting and gift purchasing as well.  After tea time it was onto the next winery, Torlesse.  This was a shorter visit, looking at their own native plant pathway, with a very unique recycled broken glass pathway.  Finally, it was back to Daryl’s house for a remarkably decadent dinner prepared for us by his wife, Merreé.  Everyone was blown away by the inside décor, their vineyard’s wine, and the exquisite dinner prepared for us.  The dinner included pumpkin soup, roasted lamb, stuffed peppers, and chocolate cake, as well as a plethora of other delicious sides.  We all left the dinner stuffed to the brim and in great spirits.  The rest of the night was spent relaxing in our sleeper cars and huts.  It was a very memorable day and definitely one of the most eventful days yet on the trip.  

-Sarah H. 

Mile 45.66 - July 16th

As of this morning, our group has walked a total of 45.66 miles! A respectable number, by all accounts. We woke up to another clear morning, with some spectacular cloudscapes courtesy of the northwesterly winds blowing in over the Alps.

We then piled into the Gatorwaka and headed to Manaaki Whenua, where we met the illustrious Dean Anderson and Will Allen. Will spent some time talking to us about managing for programme (note the kiwi spelling!) performance by way of logic modeling. We then broke into two groups and made our own logic models for the issue of our choice.

Some of the girls with their lovely logic model.

Next was Dean Anderson, who gave us a thought-provoking look at managing for pest mammals in New Zealand. We spoke about the “troubling paradigm” of having to kill animals for proper conservation in New Zealand.

He also reminded us who the true pests are.

After our lectures and a quick break for lunch, we headed over to the Live in Lincoln and Liffey developments for an overview of kiwi development practices. The Live in Lincoln development is overseen by the Ngai Tahu Development Corporation, New Zealand’s largest, and Maori owned, developers.

Dr. Hostetler pointing out the artificial wetland.

We discussed the ways in which each development considers and carries out their “green” initiatives. Both developments heavily incorporated native New Zealand flora alongside “attractive” exotics in their landscaping; however, the suspicious lack of munching on the native flora in the Liffey development told us that they may not have ecosource their plants. (For the curious, ecosourcing is a practice in which “plant seeds are obtained from the area in which they grow naturally,” thus ensuring that they are perfectly adapted to the area).

It was hot! Here we are at Liffey shading our eyes and shedding layers in the hot New Zealand sun.

Our shadows as we look for non-native trouts in the Liffey stream.

After we finished, we had a short ride back to Lincoln Uni and we discussed our plans for the upcoming three day weekend, which, as of this writing, have yet to be solidified.

Cheers!

~Alex

Place Where Children Collect Sea Eggs - July 15th

The Group With Collin, Just Arriving at Quail Island

The group spent Sunday at Quail Island (Ōtamahua - 'Place Where Children Collect Sea Eggs') with members of the Quail Island Trust. This small island just across from Lyttelton harbor has a deep history including the staging ground for Antarctic expeditions, home to a leper colony and the quarantine area for the South Island. 

Transplanting Silver Tussock

We began the day helping Collin Burrows, Collin Meurk and Ian McLennan divide out and pot up silver tussock as part of the master plan to restore Quail Island back to semi-natural state as of 1850 where over thirty natural species of trees and plants covered the entire island. Our group only worked for a few hours, and it's obvious that it will take many more before the island is restored but it was still very rewarding work. In all, 50 small plantings were completed by the group before we began a hike around the perimeter of the island. 

One major hurdle on the island is to rid the island of the invasive rabbits, rats and mice. It took over ten years but luckily the rabbits and rats are gone! The mice are another issue all together, especially since they can repopulate in only three years - and even swim from the mainland since Quail is a near shore island. 

View of Native Plantings Growing up on Quail Island

During a short hike to Walkers Beach, we spotted Woody Daisy, Woody Potato, native spinach, and Koromiko. It was fantastic to have Collin Meurk showing us all of the native areas as well as paint a picture about how quickly Quail is being restored. The group also saw several historic sites including a boat graveyard and a leper colony. 

Tony holding Scottish Broom

The final task for the day was searching for plastic trash around Walkers Beach and weeding invasive species including Scottish Broom and Pine seedlings. Luckily, there was very little plastic and other trash around the beach so we spent most of our afternoon weeding a steep hillside above the beach for Scottish Broom and Pine seedlings before relaxing by the Barracks on the swimming beach and heading back on the ferry. - Tony

View of Quail Island from the Ferry Ride Home

From Hedgerows to Hills, July 13th

Pauline shows us her newest native garden

Pauline and Malcom's Native Hedge

We met with Pauline and Malcom,  a retired farming couple from Methven, this morning to talk with them about what inspired them to plant a native wind-break hedge around their property on their own initiative.  Malcom and Pauline stated the main reason is that it is a lot easier to maintain (less trimming in the long run) plus they like the look of the native plants and that they attract birds, bees and lizards.  The growth that you see in the photos is about five years of growth and both Pauline and Malcom stated it does take maintenance of the hedge as gorse continues to come up and they have to spray or pull the gorse sprouts. 


We also learned that they bought many of the plants, but also propagated many of the native plantings from cuttings.  They are one of the first farmers in the area to make such a prominent hedge from natives in the Lincoln area and they hope it will set a good example for other farmers to try.  We also enjoyed Pauline's home baked muffins.

DOC Nursery

We left the farm and went to the Department of Conservation's (DOC) native plant nursery that also serves as demonstration gardens. Nikki with DOC, who manages the nursery, talked about how they eco source their plants.  This means that they gather seeds from natural remnants throughout the Canterbury Plains and then grow them into small plants and return them to the areas from where the seeds were collected.

A view of the hills from Sign of the Packhorse hike

After lunch at the DOC nursery, we headed back to the Port Hills for a hike at the Sign of the Packhorse.  It was a relatively warm day (58 degrees F) and we hiked along several paddocks with an up close look with sheep and cattle.  We also went through an exotic pine forest being logged for lumber.  We even had an opportunity to relax in the warm sun at the top of a hill overlooking Lyttelton Harbor.  We ended the day at the Blue Duck Cafe (open to "4ish") with our obligatory tea break.  Note: at 9:37pm some of us felt a small aftershock that rumbled through Lincoln.  Cheers, Mark

Shooting stars and perfect hike - 12th

ATA MĀRIE!

As we woke up, I remembered a great shooting star that a couple of us had seen. It was amazing and a sight that I have never and perhaps will never see again. As we quickly got ready for the hike, the roofers started showing up to replace the roof on the lodge. We had survived the night. 

Throughout the hike, we saw many species of plants and animals like the silver tree fern, hen and chicken fern, the fantail, tomtit, wood pigeon, kakariki and the reintroduced-to-the-Banks-Peninsula tui (my favorite). We also saw possums that were trapped, poisoned, left behind and skinned for their fur.  These mammals are a great nuisance to conservation efforts in New Zealand.

After lunch, we proceeded to the beach where we found a bunch of paua shells on the sand, between the rocks or on a pile where the kids seemed to have no problem locating them anywhere on the bay and had stacked them.  

Hinewai is as interesting as Hugh; it is a place to see. Now I understand the urge for this area to be conserved and it's necessity.


It was an amazing, beautiful hike! !!!!- Jessica

Hinewai Trip - Day 1, July 10th

View from inside looking out at Little River Art Gallery

Despite a cold and frosty morning, the sun gods were with us once again on our first road trip/overnight trip. Destination - the beautiful 1250 Hectare Hinewai Reserve on the Banks Peninsula.  Along the way stops were made for morning tea time at the Little River Gallery and Craft Store featuring local and prominent NZ artists, Hill Top Restaurant for the breathtaking view of Akaroa Bay, 

View from Hill Top toward Akaroa Bay

Barry's Bay for the cheese, Onawe Pa for our picnic lunch and exploration of the old lava rocks and a hike out the spit for more spectacular views, and French-influenced Akaroa itself for a little snooping around the galleries and shops. 

Akaroa

Onawe Pa Lava Rock

Hanging out at the Lodge at Hinewai

We arrived to Hinewai by 4pm with our gear and food in tow and traversed down into the beautiful reserve and to the Lodge to get settled in for a fun filled evening while being serenaded by Kevin and Alex.  We took in views of Long Bay as the sun went down and listened to stories of how this now 1250 Hectare reserve got its start from caretaker and renown Botanist, Hugh Wilson.  

Playing Telestrations with Hugh

After dinner we got to see the Southern Cross and the Milky Way under amazingly clear skies that seemed to bring the starts down to us (some of us even slept on the porch beneath the stars!).  We also played Telestrations with Hugh and got some pretty humorous results.  As the temperatures dipped down again, we stoked the fire, played cards, and hung out.  Then off to sleep to recharge for our big hike tomorrow through the reserve and down to Long Bay Beach. - Meryl

Checking out the stars off the back deck at the lodge