December 2, 2021
Last Koha Coffee for the year
Sunday December 5, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Koha Coffee this month is this Sunday at the Community Hall. Katy is hosting. Come along to chat and if you wish, bring food offerings to share. Being December, Koha Coffee will have a Christmas theme.
Community catch-up will include people from the Seeds-to-feeds fruit tree walking bee coming along after discovering and tending our local wild fruit trees. Sarah, the Seeds-to-Feeds coordinator for this year will also be bringing some seeds to share. And of course you can bring your own creative community ideas to share and discuss. Or just chat …
Please remember to scan in and wear masks when moving about.
Wild fruit tree walking bee
Sunday December 5, 9 am – 10.30 am
Come on a tour of Houghton Valley’s wild fruit trees and help give a little back to them with a bit of weed clearing and seaweed mulching. We will start at the white gate on the Southern Walkway across the field just south of Houghton Valley School (see map) and finish at the Community Hall to join Koha Coffee.
Wear sturdy walking shoes, bring gardening gloves, a weeding tool and/or hedge clippers for clearing around thetrees. If you have any old newspapers, bring some too, to help keep the weeds around the trees under control. For record keeping purposes, please RSVP to hello@seedstofeeds.nz.
We have just collected some seaweed to help feed the fruit trees!
Art in the enchanted rain
Just before people were due to arrive at Te Kawakawa Commons for the Enchanted Art in a Garden exhibition it started drizzling. Despite the wet many people still came to enjoy the garden and take away some beautiful art work. A big thank you to you all!
Some of the artists were more prepared than others for the wet and looking after their work, others unfortunately had to pack up early.
However it is planned to run again next year in the sunshine!
Another valley resident
California quail are also resident in our valley, and you can hear them calling in the swampy areas near the Hungerford Road playground. The male’s distinctive 3-note call can be described as Chi-ca-go, but is more accurately rendered as “qua-quer-go”
California quail are not native, but were first released in 1862 as game birds. You can find out more information about them at nzbirds online This is where the photo comes from.
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