Events Programme - September 2024
3rd September- Wanderers’ walk.
Meet at the Bellringer pavilion at 10:30.
Arborist talk and walk by Josh Paice NPDC arborist on tree monitoring and management.
11th September- Member's Lunch (HighTea).
TeaHouse, Pukekura Park
Cost is $25 per head.
Please RSVP by Sunday evening 8 September 2024 to Alison – treasurer@pukekura.org.nz
To confirm your booking, please pay $25 by internet banking to: TSB 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.
17th September - Wanderers’ walk.
This is deferred due to Members’ lunch.
19th September - Committee meeting
26th September - Evening Meeting
Note! Not our usual meeting place
Brooklands Zoo carpark: 7.30pm - 8.30pm.
Nathan Hills, Puke Ariki, will take us on an Amphibian Night Survey (adults only).
Meet, start and end point: Brooklands Zoo carpark, all will need torches and warm clothes and raincoat if wet. Supper will be provided at the Envirohub, Brooklands Park (beside the zoo)
Camellia Pukekura - Victoria Road Camellia Collection
Review of August's Events
Wanderers' Walk, August 6, 2024
Lead - Alan Metcalfe
12 participants including Alan Metcalfe who led and Tony Burrell who also contributed generously with his knowledge.
Alan used the app he has developed to locate rare and unusual trees he has catalogued, also showing how it links to a Maori website which translates and speaks the pronunciation - interesting.
He drew our attention to the rewarewa grove, located at the rear of the Park staff nurseries (see pics), how many folk walk past oblivious?!
The Ombu tree, native to south America, (think Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay), a strange looking tree, but again unless drawn to one's attention, is it really noticeable?
A general comment between wanderers is how much we learn on these walks, the incredible knowledge these leaders have. We are taught to stop, look up, down and around - appreciate.
Thank you Alan & Tony.
Wanderers' Walk, August 13, 2024
Lead - Eve Cozzi, Zoo Lead.
Tuesdays walk was most fascinating and informative.
It obviously takes a special person to be a “Zoo Keeper”.
Eve Cozzi (Zoo Lead) and Maxine Jenkins (Zoo coordinator) kept 18 walkers completely enthralled with their information, facts and stories.
The cotton-top monkeys, she likes locusts, he prefers silk worm larvae - fresh please, whereas the meerkats, 3 females, snack on chicken necks!
The capuchin monkeys, their human like intelligence, stealing and imitating.
Food from the large commercial looking kitchen - with walk-in refrigeration. Most residents are fed 3 times daily, some 5 times. All have their own diets, and what a variety, from live insects to fruit & veg to various meats.
Personally, I would say it was one of the most enjoyable walks I had been part of.
Judith Mullin.
Feeding the meerkats
Campbell Island lamb Feta, with mother Tomato
Evening Meeting, August 22, 2024
Speaker - Elise Smith
The August evening meeting was a great success with Elise Smith presenting a very enlightening talk on her trip to Iceland with husband Jeremy and another couple.
Elise presented an excellent slide-show of marvellous photos of Iceland. She visited the island recently using a small cruise ship with about 600 passengers. The trip started from Amsterdam and headed north past the Faroe Islands before arriving at Iceland. The ship had a number of stops as it travelled around Iceland, briefly entering the arctic circle. Maps showed the progress and locations. Elise photographed many alpine plants in closeup detail. These were presented to us with their botanical names included which would have taken some research. Not a vast number of birds were encountered.
On-shore excursions included a trip to massive waterfalls, sunken blue lake, museums and a natural park where you could see and walk between two continents. The facilities for the tourists were first class with modern information centres at the key attractions. Tourism is Iceland’s largest income earner and it can be very crowded at times but Elise was careful with her photographs so it looked more like an un-spoilt northern landscape. We were shown footage of a group of whales playing not too far away from the ship.
Elise also brought along books and brochures about Iceland, its wild life and the tour for those interested in further information. A very well presented evening.
Sunken Dell Bridge Opening
I was lucky enough to represent FOPP on 29 August to the official blessing and opening of the Dell Bridge.
The bridge is located in the dell seen walking up from the Bellringer Pavilion to the Tea House. The bridge has been built as part of the WITT "Build a Bridge" programme in conjunction with NPDC.
With materials funded by NPDC, college and high school students carried out the design and build of the bridge as part of their transition programme. This was under the guidance of their tutor, and was purpose built to replace the old one which was in need of repair. As you walk over the bridge, you will notice is has a non-slip surface and is very sturdy.
Thanks to all those involved - a great effort and a good improved asset for our Park.
Sue Matehaere Patten
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Friends of Pukekura Park
PO BOX 484
New Plymouth, Taranaki 4340
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