FuturEcology & EmGuard ™ March 2024 update
The days are very slowly getting a little chillier and a little shorter, always good news for those of us in the restoration industry prepping for the planting season. The heavy rain at the beginning of the week was a very welcome sight, despite the blocked gutters.
We kicked off our planting for the year last week, planting rushes next to a large body of water, as the dry weather enabled us to get nice and close to the edge. The team did a great job getting over 2000 planted on the first day. A strong start for the season, our bodies were feeling it the next day mind you.
We hope you all had a good February, and we wish you all the best for the month ahead. Make the most of the last few weeks of our early autumn days.
Weed of the Month
Old man’s beard/Clematis vitalba
By Anna Bradley
Last week we found one of the largest old man’s beard vines in our entire history, in a wetland in the Wairau Valley Marlborough. This invasive vine has been a problem in NZ for many years and can grow up to 20 metres tall. This pest plant gets its name from its seeds which are grey and hairy. Old man’s beard grows very quickly compared to native plants and can grow in huge clumps.
Old man’s beard is dangerous for our forests as it smothers and kills all plants to the highest canopy and prevents the establishment of native plant seedlings. It is often found in disturbed and open forest and forest margins, shrublands, riverbeds, cliffs, bush tracks, fernland, and tussockland. It spreads its seeds with the help of wind or water. Pieces of stem can also grow when moved to other areas.
To get rid of it, we cut stems to the ground and paste cut stumps with Cut’n’Paste Glimax Professional 400g/L Glyphosate Weed Gel, which is specifically designed for vines. Stumps resprout very quickly and cut stems will root at the nodes, so it is important to trace the vines back to the ground at all points and paste all nodes. Visit Old man’s beard • Weedbusters for more information.
Spot the old man’s beard.
Christchurch Nursery Industry Trade Day
By Jan Fryer
Next week I am off to the Christchurch Nursery Industry Trade Day at the Lincoln Event Centre on the 14th March.
It is exciting to be getting back to these Trade days, as many have been on hold since Covid. It is a great place to showcase our great products, as it gives people the chance to feel how robust the EmGuards are and how easy they are to fold and install. The thing I enjoy the most is catching up with many of our customers and hearing their inspiring stories of their projects, not to mention the chance to extol the virtues of EmGuards in ensuring a successful restoration project.
If you are in the vicinity that day, do come in to see the showcase of many of the innovative products and wonderful plants that are available in the horticultural and nursery supply industry.
Tree of the week - 01 March 2024
Pukatea Laurelia novae-zelandiae
By Anna Bradley
We are excited to have started a new segment called ‘tree of the week’. This will see us identify trees we deem to be of significance around the region. Keep an eye out across our social media for more.
Pukatea Laurelia novae-zelandiae
This forest giant is one of several located in a remnant forest in Delaware Bay, Nelson, and would be over 100 years old. Pukatea is generally found in lowland forest and would once have been common in the region, usually in damp gullies and on the edges of streams.
Pukatea grow slowly to a height of 40m and is the only New Zealand native tree developing large plank buttresses to support the tree's growth in swamp or shallow-soil areas. Pukatea has specialised respiratory root structures called pneumatophores. These specialised aerial roots enable plants to breathe air in habitats that have waterlogged soil.
Historically, the light, but tough timber of pukatea has been used for boat building. The timber was used by Māori to create figureheads for canoes. An extract from the bark containing the alkaloid pukateine is used in traditional Māori herbal medicine as an analgesic.
A Significant Natural Area (SNA) Story
By Shaun Burton
Recently, the FuturEcology team has been working with Nelson City Council to help restore one of the few remaining lowland native forest remnants in the North Nelson area.
Located in the beautiful Delaware Bay, this impressive forest remnant contains tall pukatea and other podocarp trees, including large amounts of tawa, titoki and nikau palms. Both tūrepo and kaikomako, two species which are uncommon in the area, are also found within the forest, which is a promising sign for the biodiversity of the local area.
Spending time under the canopy here offers a glimpse of what we hope to achieve with our restoration work at FuturEcology. The number and variety of native seedlings that we have observed starting to establish within the forest area is promising and provides hope that this area is entering a new phase of growth and renewal. We understand it was grazed up until 20 years ago.
Currently, the work that we are undertaking within the forest involves a comprehensive search and destroy program across the entire forest area. The aim is to eliminate pest plants to reduce competition for the regenerating understorey. The pest species we are focusing on are Mahonia japonica, old man’s beard, banana passionfruit, blackberry, hawthorn, and barberry. This work is carried out with hand tools and Cut’n’Paste Glimax Professional weed gel, with small seedlings being hand pulled if possible.
It has been a great project to work on for many reasons, including the beauty of the forest, the cool shade in the heat of the summer and the feeling that the work will result in real positive impacts for an important area of native forest.
Welcome to the team Evelyn
Kia ora. My name is Evelyn. I'm originally from Argentina and have been lucky to call Nelson home since 2020. I joined the FutureEcology team in February 2024.
I have always been committed to looking after the environment we all cherish. I completed a Bachelor in Environmental Management in 2017 and I gained experience in Environmental Impact Analysis during my work with the Environmental Protection Agency in the city of Buenos Aires. Since arriving in New Zealand, I have supplemented my study with courses on New Zealand Conservation, Environmental Management Systems and Spatial Analysis.
In my spare time I love going for walks around Nelson with my fiancé, catching up with friends and playing table tennis. I also enjoy traveling to different regions of New Zealand and reading books at any spot with a beautiful landscape.
EmGuard Update
By Emma Fryer
The season has been off to a strong start, which has been excellent. It has been lovely hearing from our happy customers all over the country gearing up for another good planting season.
We went to visit our manufacturer in Hamilton this week and they are all on track for keeping up with our production requirements. But, please note that we still need a four week lead in time for orders over 6,000 EmGuards.
Unfortunately, there will be a slight price rise from 1st of April 2024 due to manufacturing cost increases. We have endeavoured to keep this rise to the minimum.
We have plenty of stock on hand, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any orders or indicative numbers for the season ahead.
Pocket Restoration Update
By Emma Fryer
Are you wanting to do your bit for the planet but not sure where to start?
Pocket Restoration Aotearoa is here to help as your step-by-step guide to developing and implementing your own environmental restoration plan. It will equip you with the knowledge and skills to get stuck into ‘saving the planet, one tree at a time’.
Interesting Snippets
What We’ve Been Listening to:
By Alvin Bartley
Last year I was lucky enough to spend 3 months abroad between Morocco, Spain, Portugal and England.
While staying in London with a friend, one of my favorite musicians, Yussef Days released a masterpiece album called Black Classical Music. For the release, he held a couple free concerts which I was able to get to see while in London and was totally blown away. Here is a recent live session which plays some of the tracks from the album: https://yussefdayes.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-malibu
Roulade
This is Bridget’s aunty’s recipe - totally delicious, especially cold from the fridge!
Thick White sauce
60grms butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
Preheat oven to 200C fan bake.
Make white sauce using your usual method, add the egg yolks and mix.
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold gently through.
Spread in a greased flat swiss roll tin lined with baking paper that extends 3cm over the edge of the tin. (about 34 x 24cm).
Cook in oven for for 10 – 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a tea towel (to assist with rolling).
Filling (make while base is cooking)
1 tin tuna (185gr)
125gr cream
Lemon (juice and rind)
Mix together and spread over base while still hot. Roll up.
Enjoy hot or cold!
As I wrote this on Monday, the sun was coming out again after a very heavy shower that morning. The river was roaring, much to our surprise, but the rain was very welcome.
We had a talk a week or so ago by the local fire brigade chief about fire safety and preparation. He made some very interesting points like making sure your driveway does not have any low overhanging trees and there is room enough for a fire engine to turn round at the top. Trees grow quietly but efficiently, and it is very easy for them to get much higher than we realise so a good reminder for all that while we a facing these very dry conditions, just be very aware of your fire plans.
I had a couple of swims in at Totoranui in Abel Tasman National Park last weekend, which were magical. As Emma noted earlier, it’s great to make the most of these early autumn days.
Just a reminder to ensure sure you have your plant orders in for this coming planting season too as it looks like another busy year of plantings happening across the country.
By Jan Fryer
Here’s to ‘saving the planet, one tree at a time’.
If you have any projects in mind and would like to talk further, give us a call or pop in and see us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Parkers Wetland Restoration, St Arnaud