Events Blog

Newsletter -November 2025

pukekurafriends
Nov 30

Events Programme December 2025

2nd - Curator’s Walk.

Meet at TSB Carpark (Red gates) 10.30 a.m.

Lead - Joel Richardson - A tour of the new Sports hub completed areas, where they will talk to us about the development and Water Sensitive Design strategies. The meeting place will be TSB stadium car park, meet at the red gates that take you down to the park.

16th - Wanderers’ Walk. Festival of Lights?

Meet at Bellringer Pavilion 10.30 a.m.

Briana Dolan from NPDC will lead us on the behind-the-scenes tour of the Festival of Lights – always a favourite tour!

16th - Committee meeting

25th - Evening Meeting

No Evening Meeting in December

Review of November's Events

November 18th - Wanderers' Walk

Fernery Tour - Lead - Martin Thompson

A select group of 8 joined Martin Thompson and Jasmine on a really interesting tour of The Fernery today.

Martin was keen to share the historical story of The Fernery, starting 1918 when it was first proposed. We tried to imagine digging the tunnels by hand - in typical Taranaki July weather in 1925... just wet and miserable I would imagine.

Our first stop was in House One - the fern house. The main feature is the Prince of Wales fern (see photo), reputed to be around 100 years old and looking stunning, obviously loving his home!

Alan recounted the tale of when the Prince visited the Park on the cricket grounds, 1606 children with pampas plumes, coordinated and arranged these into the shape representative of this fern. It would have been a sight to behold.

Above is a plan of the sportsground from 1920 showing the layout for the visit of the Prince of Wales. On the east terraces girls of the High School spelled out WELCOME, on the south terrace, Technical College students spelled out HRH and on the playing field over 1600 primary school children waving pampas formed the Prince of Wales Feathers emblem.

I also discovered a couple of ponga carvings I hadn't seen before - gloriously covered in moss.

We ventured into House Three - This also was originally ferns but currently displays trees, shrubs, perennials, featuring spring plants (Lillies, Crinum, Hydrangeas Rhodos, Acer, Hosta, Astilbe).

The working area (Staff Only) was explored next . It was especially colourful with the display of plants being weathered and grown to replace displays as summer draws nearer.

The visit was fascinating. The history tracked until 2025 (two months ago) when Martin was appointed. The displays are stunning and it was great to see and hear the processes behind them. What a wonderful team in The Fernery.

Thanks so much.

SUE

November 27th - Evening Meeting

Speaker - Mathew Allen

At November's evening meeting Mathew Allen, guest speaker, enlightened his audience of 18 on the attributes and value of giant bamboo.

Mathew (a close relative of Adrienne Tathams), who has a 23ha stand of a running variety of bamboo, said he has no trouble controlling its spread.

Fascinating to hear how readily it could replace Pinus Radiata (PR), the growth rate of bamboo (a grass) to maturity, 5yrs, compared with PR 25 - 28yrs.

Comparing also the strength - with a high tensile strength comparable to steel and a compressive strength greater than most wood, concrete, and brick, and the versatility, it's composition in construction materials, as good if not better than pinus radiata as well.

The fibres, he likened to fibreglass, but stripped of their sugars, and reduced to a pulp, they make excellent fabrics. Absorbent towels and wonderfully soft underwear.

The edible shoots, the kitchen utensils and "crockery", and don't forget their windbreak value.

Question time was unending, and very lively.

Thank you to Julie Hunt for her generous and delish supper, unfortunately the CAB rooms kitchen was in the process of being updated and a cuppa was not on offer due to no water

Judith

From the Zoo

Tracking Tiny Steps: How Brooklands Zoo Is Enhancing Newt Welfare with ZooMonitor

By Brooklands Zoo Keeper Kelly Green

At Brooklands Zoo, innovation and compassion go hand in hand - especially when it comes to the smallest residents.

The zoo team uses an app called ZooMonitor to track how the animals use their habitats. Starting with the Oriental fire-bellied newts, they recorded daily observations in the app and found that the newts were spending almost all of their time on land within their habitat and only rarely entered the water.

Staff made plans to alter their habitat to have more land available ... until the newts pulled a swifty and started using the water almost constantly!

"We don't know why they changed their behaviour but we've been able to alter our plans so that they have more space to use in water," says Brooklands Zoo Supervisor Max Jenkins.

"If their behaviour changes again, we'll catch it through ZooMonitor and will make any changes that they need."

The team is looking forward to using this technology to monitor the habitat use of other species in the zoo, allowing similar welfare advances.

Friends of Pukekura Park Membership Application Form

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Newsletter -October 2025

pukekurafriends
Oct 30

Events Programme November 2025

4th - Wanderers’ walk.

No walk due to Garden Festival

11th Committee meeting

18th - Wanderers’ walk.

Meet at Bellringer Pavilion 10.30 a.m.

Martin Thompson - Fernery Lead will take us on a tour of the Fernery

27th Evening Meeting

Citizens Advice Bureau, next to the Y.M.C.A. - 7pm

Matthew Allen: Bamboo - Matthew will talk about his experiences in growing bamboo and all the interesting things that can be done with this grass.

Review of October's Events

7th - Wanderers’ Walk.

Lead - Vance Hooper

Armed with umbrellas and coats we joined Vance on a tour of his extended garden and orchard. From a paddock 25 years ago he has established a gully of flourishing natives (including the rare golden rimu), bulbs and many species of splendid magnolias. Though he focuses mainly on citrus for the nursery he has been experimenting with growing bananas as a retirement project. Although at the limit of their growing range in New Zealand Vance has been trialling 25 species to see what would work in Taranaki.

After soil testing and adding lime and borax, he established long double beds with hedge mulch between, fertilizing only to get established with sulphate of potash. For our wetter climate he favours frost covers for the bunches to avoid condensation and windrub. They like being planted together. Male flowers are snapped off in October. When the bananas have fruited the leaves are chopped back to bring energy back to the stem. He has also found deflowering in the bag and by removing 3 or 4 hands he gets the same weight and larger size of bananas in the remaining hands. They get few pests apart from armyworm. We heard about a ruru who nested in one of the bananas and certainly were glad to shelter under their large leaves when the rain fell.

Misi Luki is the preferred banana to grow in the backyard but has found the Honduras variety copes with our winters well while Blue Java grows well but fickle to fruit. He has about 80 bunches ripening at the moment, a testament to the success of his scientific experiment.

15th Members Lunch

Twenty-four enjoyed a High Tea style Lunch at the Tea House in Pukekura Park.

19th Plant Sale

It was all hands on deck on Sunday morning for our plant sale…plants to be shifted, priced, arranged… all ready before 10am. A good crowd assembled just before the start and we had a great morning of sales.

A BIG thanks you to all who contributed plants – these well much appreciated and well sought after! Also a HUGE thank you to the helpers with trailers, utes and all the necessary accessories who came to help, sell and advise about plants. A really successful day.

We raised around $2500 for the Friends’ funds – and increase of $1000 on last year.

Well done everyone

Sue

October 23rd - Evening Meeting

Speaker - Tony Burrell

Tony gave an interesting talk about colour in nature to an audiance of 18, which was very good considering the inclement weather outside at the time.

He spoke about how the human eye perceives colour and compared it to other mammals, birds and insects, followed by colour in plants.

Human vision is Trichromatic (three types of cone cells for red, green, and blue light), allowing perception of a broad spectrum of colours, whereas most other mammals are Dichromatic (typically two cone types), perceiving colours mostly in shades of blue and yellow, and often red-green colour-blind. It is interesting to note that human vision has evolved to see a wide variety of colours during daylight, but in dim light we have black and white vision. Most other mammals see better than us at night.

Birds on the other hand have Tetrachromatic vision (4 cone types, including one sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light). The ability to see UV light helps in foraging (UV-reflective fruits/urine trails), mate selection (UV-reflective plumage), and predator avoidance. Birds’ visual acuity (sharpness) is often better than ours, especially in birds of prey. They can have vision as sharp as 20/5 or 20/4 (meaning they can see details at 20 feet that a human would need to be 4 or 5 feet away to see).

Insects are different again. They have Compound eyes composed of hundreds to thousands of individual light-sensing units called ommatidia, forming a mosaic image. Very low resolution (pixelated image), but the image processing allows for enhanced sensitivity to contrast and movement.

Mosquitoes, some snakes and certain fish can also see in the infrared range.

Tony then talked about how plants produce colour in their foliage. The colour is predominately due to pigments which either absorb or reflect light. The main pigments are: chlorophyll (Green), carotenoids (yellow, orange and reds as in carrots) and anthocyanin (reds, purples and blues depending on the acidity of the soil). During a year a leaf can change colour. A new leaf may start red indicating a predominance of anthocyanin, then turn green due to a dominance of chlorophyll, then in autumn the chlorophyll may breaks down and the leaves can turn yellow or orange because of carotenoids.

Plants can use colour to attract, deter, camouflage or possibly mimic another plant. For example, Tony suggested that the palatable Alseuomia pusilla might be mimicking the unpalatable horopito so that it doesn’t get eaten. This theory is controversial.

Another aspect of colour that Tony highlighted was the difference between pigmented colour and structural colour. Structural colour is the production of colour by microscopically structured surfaces that interfere with visible light, rather than relying on pigments. These structures cause specific wavelengths of light to reflect and scatter, creating vivid, often iridescent colours seen in things like butterfly wings and peacock feathers.

From the Zoo

Ten Years on: Life as a Keeper at Brooklands Zoo by Brooklands Zoo Keeper Jenny Bucksmith

Celebrating ten years as a keeper at Brooklands Zoo has been a journey filled with growth, unforgettable moments, and deep connections—with both animals and people. Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far I’ve come, not only in my confidence working with a wide range of species, but also in the relationships built along the way.

One of my earliest and most cherished memories is of Charlie the cockatoo. His cheeky personality and love of conversation made him a favourite among staff and visitors alike. Charlie taught me that animals have distinct personalities, and building trust with them is a privilege.

Witnessing the birth of Feta the lamb was another highlight, as mum Tomato instinctively knew exactly what she had to do. Watching Feta grow and thrive under our care, was a beautiful testament to the nurturing environment we strive to create.

Over the years, I’ve had the joy of working with a wide range of species. The kune kune pigs, with their curious and gentle nature, are a delight to care for. The leopard tortoises, slow-moving but full of character, have taught me patience and precision in reptile care.

Raising pheasants and chickens from eggs to adulthood has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Watching them hatch, grow, and thrive is a testament to the dedication and teamwork that defines our zoo.

Perhaps the most significant change over the decade has been my growth in confidence. From nervous beginnings to now comfortably working with everything from birds to reptiles and mammals, I’ve learned to trust my instincts and lean on the expertise of my colleagues.

Brooklands Zoo isn’t just a workplace—it’s a community. The support, laughter, and shared love for animals have made these ten years unforgettable. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and excited for what’s still to come.

Friends of Pukekura Park Membership Application Form

To apply for membership, either click on the link to our website page or download a pdf application form

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Newsletter -September 2025

pukekurafriends
Sep 30

Updated: Oct 1

Members Lunch

Midday, Wednesday 15 October 2025

Member’s Lunch (High Tea)

Pukekura Tea House, Pukekura Park

The cost is $25 per head.

Please RSVP by Sunday evening 10 October to Alison – treasurer@pukekura.org.nz

To confirm your booking, please pay $25 by internet banking to:

TSB Acc Name: Friends of Pukekura Park New Plymouth Incorporated

ACC No: 15-3953-0539316-01

Please ensure your name is included and “Members Lunch”

If you are unable to pay this way, please contact treasurer@pukekura.org.nz

The Friends look forward to seeing you there.

Events Programme October 2025

7th - Wanderers’ walk.

Magnolia Grove, 6 Mahoetahi Road Sentry Hill at 10.30am.

FOPP member Vance Hooper will show us around his amazing garden and his large selection of banana cultivars.

14th Committee meeting

15th Members’ lunch to be held at the Tea House at noon.

19th Plant Sale - Band Rotunda.

21st - Wanderers’ walk.

Note: No walk scheduled because of Member's Lunch and Plant Sale

23rd Evening Meeting

Citizens Advice Bureau, next to the Y.M.C.A. - 7pm

Matthew Allen: Bamboo - Matthew will talk about his experiences in growing bamboo and all the interesting things that can be done with this grass.

Review of September's Events

September 2nd - Wanderers’ walk.

Lead - Josh Paice

13 of us braved the weather to meet Josh Paice, arborist from NPDC.

Josh has just returned from 5 week’s fire fighting in Canada but unfortunately we didn’t have time for many tales of his time there.

Although chilly and fine, we viewed some of the trees and Josh commented on these. The main ones:

Fishtail palms in the Palm lawn. These had flowered and are laden with berries. The palms do not look healthy and apparently they die after flowering. This may take 3-4 years so we’ll be watching this space. It was interesting to see how the neighbouring Totara had been sculptured minimally to make space for the palms.
The Giant Redwood by the old Curator’s office proved an interesting study. Josh knocked on the bark to determine where the tree was solid and where it indicated a more hollow interior. We also looked at the bark where the tree is slowly growing new bark over a damaged area as a means of healing.
Moreton Bay Fig. This huge specimen is constantly monitored. It has grown above the other canopy and the branches are reaching out a long way. The buttress roots do not mind growing over the tarmac. Seeds are pollinated by a special type of wasp and seeds are spread probably by birds and/or bats.
The specimen was one of a few seedlings brought to New Plymouth by the Shearer family from Oakura in 1895.

Josh promises a demonstration of his tools of the trade next time – and maybe we can then see him in action.

I look forward to it.

16th - Wanderers’ Walk.

Lead - Tony Barnes

Good turnout of 17 arrived on a windy day with a forecast of possible showers. Tony Barnes, our lead, first took us around the plantings in the traffic island area. We admired the tall Mexican fan palm and a little later walked past the Chinese fan palms. These palms were not as tall and were distinguished by having fibre mats around the trunks. Tony described the various Agaves that were flowering and also the Aloes. The northern planting area had Pseudopanax Ferox (toothed lancewood) in its juvenile, intermediate and adult forms.

We then moved to the Gables plantings. The wind had dropped and the sun was out. The gardens were at their best. Tony talked about the magnolias and then pointed out an old daphne plant. He said they are normally in good health for around nine years and then started looking tired. Best to remove and replant at this stage rather than hope they will recover.

The Camellias were where Tony was in his good space. He told us about the history of the Camellia flower blight (parts of the petals turn brown) which is caused by a fungus Ciborinia camelliae, which was introduced in the 1990’s. There is still no cure and the blight is worse in New Zealand because it thrives in our humid conditions. The NZ Camellia Society have invested heavily in research to try and understand the disease and methods to reduce its impact. Three graduates had been sponsored over the last ten years to carry out the research. They have made good progress on understanding the disease but no cures to date. You can obtain limited control by good hygiene and fungicide sprays but it soon returns from trees in the neighbourhood outside of your control. We also discussed the lighter colour random streaks appearing on some of the camellia leaves and flowers. Tony said this was caused by viral variegation. The virus is systemic and cannot be cured.

All too soon time was up and although we didn’t walk all that far, we covered and learnt so much from Tony’s wealth of knowledge.

September 25th - Evening Meeting

Speaker - Elise Smith

Elise gave a fascinating talk about two very small and very ancient botanic gardens in Amsterdam and London. The Amsterdam Gardens, Hortus Botanicus was established way back in 1638 as a teaching and demonstration garden for doctors and chemists of the day.

Nowadays, its main role is to educate the public about the role of plants in our commercial world, and over the years, they have exported and imported potential new crops to their colonies. Elise was thrilled by the ancient palms and cycads on display; some of them over 200 years old.

The Chelsea Physic Garden on the banks of the Thames is marginally bigger at four acres, and was established in 1673 as a demonstration garden for herbs, spices and cures in the days of apothecaries, who were the pharmacists of the day.

Sir Hans Sloane, who rose from humble means to be one of the richest people in the world, bought the borough of Chelsea, including the garden, which he then rented out to the apothecaries for 5 pounds a year. Elise told us that this rental fee had not increased in 350 years, and so the garden still pays a rent of 5 pounds. Sloane’s private collection of natural curiosities became the basis of the British Museum.

For many years, the garden was a private repository for the study of cures and potions, but now it is open to the public six days a week, and has informative demonstrations for the public.

The garden contains a New Zealand section, and has a wonderful array of ferns from all over the globe. Elise was especially impressed by the greenhouses and the exotic plants within. Some of the plants are very rare, and some seemingly obscure for other reasons such as cannabis, and the mandrake root which supposedly screams when dug up.

From the Zoo

Wildlife Rehabilitation at Brooklands Zoo

At New Plymouth’s Brooklands Zoo, injured and unwell native birds are given tender-loving care until they’re fit for release back into the wild.

The zoo is approved by the Department of Conservation (DOC) to care for ill or injured native wildlife in off-display areas after they’ve been seen by a vet, and they usually stay for a few weeks of expert attention.

“The zoo staff love these feel-good moments when our wildlife rehab work has ended with a great result – seeing the birds fly off when they’re fit and well,” says Zoo Lead Eve Cozzi.

The majority of injuries that zoo staff see are due to predation (most likely by cats), vehicle collision or window strikes.

In the last 12 months, 13 native birds have been under the zoo’s care – mostly injured kererū, but also a kōtare (kingfisher), pāpango (New Zealand scaup) and ruru (morepork owl).

INTRODUCING NEW INDIVIDUALS TO ESTABLISHED GROUPS

Article from Red (Anthony) Brown – Brooklands Zoo Keeper

Occasionally we get the privilege of receiving new individuals and with established groups of animals there is quite the process to bring them into the environment.When these new individuals are born or hatched within the habitat, we do a lot of observations and make sure everyone is showing the right behaviours towards the infant, and vice versa.

However, when a new individual is being brought into a group, whether it’s a juvenile or fully developed adult, the process takes a little more finesse.

The first step is to ensure the newcomers aren’t harbouring any nasty illnesses that could get passed on to the current group, so they will be put into a quarantine period. The length of the quarantine and the testing required to ensure they are safe to introduce to our current residents depend on where the individuals have come from.

The next stages vary drastically depending on the species, but effectively we want to give our current groups and the newcomers a chance to acclimatise to each other. This gives the best chance for a successful introduction.

Some strategies we use are side-by-side contact, where the current group and the newcomers are held in separate spaces with a barrier between them – where possible in a neutral space and with an empty space between them. In this way, all the individuals can see, hear and smell each other without much or any ability to touch one another.

Initially this contact time would be very temporary, gradually increasing as we observe good natural behaviours that show us they are interacting well.

Following on from that, where available, we would introduce the newcomers to the current group in a neutral environment. This way we hope to have the whole group bond together in the new area as, especially with social groups, numbers equals safety.

Recently we went through this process with our meerkats with two new individuals arriving from Wellington Zoo. With each new step taken under a lot of observation, we successfully introduced Nandi and Zinzi and have increased our mob to five individuals.

Friends of Pukekura Park Membership Application Form

To apply for membership, either click on the link to our website page or download a pdf application form

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