Author
Sue Galbraith (Community Relations Officer)

Prior Publication
none

Our nature should be our ‘second nature’

The urban landscape is a living, dynamic system, not a "plastic lollipop thing that is forced into static or sterile planning boxes," participants at a Restoration Day event in Wellington were told.

Landcare ecological scientist Colin Meurk made the comment in an address to around 130 members of groups involved in ecological restoration at a workshop day at Otari-Wilton Bush yesterday. Organised by the New Zealand Ecological Restoration Network (NZERN) and the Department of Conservation in conjunction with Greater Wellington - The Regional Council and Wellington City Council, the annual event celebrates the efforts of Wellington's restoration groups.

Dr Meurk stressed the need to look at the big picture, ensuring that ecological landscapes are connected and that our indigenous species form part of our urban environment.

"We need a more life-affirming approach to urban planning. Is nature part of the furniture, part of our cultural existence, or will it become irrelevant and consigned to remote national parks which has been the traditional way of treating nature in this country - out of sight and out of mind?

"The vast majority of us are city-bound... It's crucial to have nature as a prominent feature in the urban environment, to get away from the dichotomy of nature and culture.

To make this information more useful we should look at introducing indigenous plant species back into our productive landscape, our farms and production forests, Dr Meurk said.

"And we should be telling visitors about the biogeography here... Our nature should become second nature, part of our culture. We have to create an atmosphere for this to happen."

Other speakers included:

•    Tressilick-Ngaio Park Working Group chairman Richard Northmore who told of being accosted by someone in a supermarket who, after living in Ngaio for 50 years “complained” that he was now being woken up by tui.

•    Julia Williams from the Ngaio Progressive Association which is encouraging residents to take care of the Korimako Stream. The organisation is about to launch its own website www.ngaio.org.nz

•    Otari-Wilton’s Bush Trust chairman Bill Winstanley who spoke of the early restoration efforts led by eminent ecologist Dr Leonard Cockayne in Wellington, who travelled New Zealand getting to know the native ecology and formed a native plant museum at Otari-Wilton’s Bush. “He educated people about our native species and showed how they could be used in a horticultural setting instead of the plants that came from his home land.”

•    John Holmes from Greater Wellington outlined the initiatives being undertaken by the council to support restoration groups. He said over the past 15 years there had been an “absolute explosion” of people who wanted to make a difference in Wellington and throughout the rest of New Zealand. “It’s really important to know that you are not nutters. You are not alone.”

Participants honed their skills at a series of workshops which included a study of the Kaiwharawhara Streamside Restoration Project; hands-on planting at Kaiwharawhara Stream, identifying native plants, studying the historic regeneration of Otari-Wilton’s Bush, learning about Wellington’s common invertebrates and looking at the potential effects of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary on Wellington’s birdlife.

Keywords
NZERN  Department of Conservation  field day  Otari-Wilton's Bush  

Updated 20/11/2008 4.12AM by PIPI4