Monday 10 June, 2024 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Free
This month we’re meeting in Dunsandel for coffee. Come along for an opportunity to trade, share information and meet our members!
Please let me know if you would like to join us:
Tag: Community
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Waste Art Competition & Exhibition – A Celebration of Creativity and the Environment
The exhibition, held at Te Ara Ātea, showcased all entries to the 2023 Selwyn High Schools’ Waste Art Competition. The exhibits were on display over a weekend in August 2023. Our thanks go to the staff of Te Ara Atea for their excellent hosting.
This exciting and enjoyable competition, first launched in 2021, is open to all rangatahi from year 7 to 13, not just those attending high school. The event runs biennially, so keep an eye out for the competition in 2025. The 2021 competition’s overall winner was titled “From Bags to Riches” – a dress crafted from repurposed feed bags and bailing twine. Other notable works included an R2D2 sculpture constructed from a used gas cylinder and various pieces incorporating materials destined for landfills. All entries exhibited remarkable creativity and were deservedly recognised with prizes.
The 2023 exhibition maintained the high standard set by its predecessor, presenting the judges with the challenging task of determining category and overall winners, as well as merit award recipients.
Whakamihi to all the artists for their mahi and originality.
2023 Winners:
Overall Winner: Grace Anongngos and Ingrid Aquino for their entry “The Forest Station.”
High School Winner: Kathryn McKenzie’s entry “Wastey the Hedgehog.”
Intermediate Winner: Lachie Smolenski with “Reined In.”
Merit Award Recipients:
- Susanna Tully – “Salvage Style Dress”
- Eleanor Jack and Brooke Wendelken – “Blue Sky Stays Bright”
- Bharya Malhotka – “Sword Of Sapphires”
- Eileen Liu – “Eco Friendly Headwear”
A Few Photos from the Exhibition
Candy Wrapper Catwalk
Silvia Hector
Wastey the Hedgehog
Kathryn McKenzie
Recycled Paper Playing Cards
Josh Aubrey
Sword Of Sapphires
Bharya Malhotka
Salvage Style Dress
Susanna Tully
Coconut Shell Plant Pots
Sanura Lokuliyanage
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KidsFest Craft & Science Event
LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PUT ON EXCELLENT HOLIDAY EVENT
Friends in the Forest, July 2023
We would like to thank those rangatahi from Lincoln High School who gave up holiday time to organise and assist with our annual craft and science day for children and families. Sixteen students made themselves available on two days. Some had also helped in the planning of various crafts and science demonstrations, all with the theme of looking at our “Friends in the Forest”.
One of the days was spent building and decorating the “traditional” tunnel which this year took children through a “forest”; we would like to thank Harvey Norman for the empty Fridge Boxes which make this possible each year.
The second day was devoted to the event itself with the High School helping and mentoring the tamariki in crafting such things as bird feeders, window decorations, masks and leaf art. Dioramas are always a favourite and some wonderful forest scenes were created in the many shoe boxes kindly supplied by Merrell, Merchant, and Platypus shoes.
All the tamariki enjoyed making their own tracking tunnels, identifying birds and plants, and searching leaf litter with a microscope.
We would also like to thank The Summit Road Society and Forest and Bird for bringing their activities and displays which very much enhanced the learning and enjoyment of the 130 children and their families who attended.
This event was funded by the Creative Communities Scheme.
KidsFest is an annual event, taking place during the winter school holidays. Look out for this years event Waves meet Wonders – Our Beautiful Coastline.
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ReDiscover
The Selwyn Timebank will be heading to the ReDiscover Hub (Pines Resource Recovery Park) again towards the end of July (after the July school holidays). Please email selwyntimebank@gmail.com if interested and we can work out a day/time that suits.
Monday 22 July, 2024 @ 9:00 am – Friday 26 July, 2024 @ 5:00 pm
ReDiscover run workshops during the week, which are fantastic to attend!
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Fungi in your Garden
If you missed the recent presentation by Wendy Kentjens on fungi, here are a few tips from the well attended workshop that took place in April. While we have useful fungi such as mushrooms and yeasts, Wendy devoted most of her talk to dealing with problem fungi.
Here are the suggested steps:
- Provide a non-conducive environment: Do not irrigate at night, allow good airflow through plants and trees, avoid soil compaction.
- Reduce susceptibility of host plant: Provide sufficient light/shade, give enough food, give just enough water (not too much).
- Minimise spread: Have diversity of plants, fungi-resistant plants, avoid overhead irrigation, remove diseased parts, unhealthy leaves.
- Break life cycle using crop rotation.
- Have a suppressive soil: Soil with rich microbial diversity, no-dig gardening, use of compost and manure.
Types of problem fungi frequently encountered by gardeners include powdery mildew (grapes and fruit trees), rust, anthracene (tomatoes) and botrytis rot (strawberries and grapes).
Ngā mihi nui Wendy.
Get in Touch with Ruth Wood,
Lincoln Community Gardens Coordinator
021 074 3905
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Plastic – How Do We Live With It?
Kim Hill Hot Topic 2024
If you missed this year’s Kim Hill Hot Topic: “PLASTIC – How Do We Live With It” you can now watch it on YouTube. Thanks to Lincoln High School for filming the event where Kim Hill leads a panel of experts to delve into the issues surrounding plastic usage. Once the panel deliberated their views, the audience was invited to question panel members. The panellists discuss all issues relating to how essential plastic might be, our ability to reduce consumption, and our means of recycling the plastic we use.
Click to find out more about this years panellists.
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The Power of Essential Oils
A member of Selwyn Timebank recently ran a workshop on the benefits of essential oils. It was very informative and opened our minds to the numerous advantages of these oils, and how they can impact health and wellbeing. The timebank member was very knowledgeable and had years of experience working with essential oils for herself, her family and many others.
Firstly, she took us through the safe use of essential oils (including using them with children and babies) and how they can be applied topically, aromatically and internally (if you are unsure about the correct way to apply them, please ask someone knowledgeable first, such as our timebank member). We were also taken through how to begin the journey with essential oils. We can begin with the basic oils initially, then move on to more oils and creating blends (there are ‘recipes’ online, especially with reputable companies who sell the purest forms of oils). Essential oils support healthy skin and hair, can help with breathing and illnesses and are even very useful in the first aid kit. They can also be used around the house for cleaning, in cooking and baking, in the car, and even while you are travelling. They are great everywhere!
Not all essential oils have been created equally – they may or may not be pure (again, ask someone who knows). It is also very important to speak to your doctor if you are on any long term medications or have serious conditions.
At the workshop, we started talking about different topics of interest and experiences, and soon found out that we all had something to share! Please feel encouraged to offer workshops where you may be able to share new knowledge and skills with other members – this is what timebank is for!
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Selwyn Timebank Mid-Winter Christmas Dinner
FreeSaturday 29 June, 2024 @ 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Come and join us. Bring your favourite Christmas pot luck dinner to share and enjoy Fun, Food and Games! Get in touch with Fiona for full details:
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Mini BioBlitz at the Mahoe Reserve
On Sunday 28 April, we held a thoroughly enjoyable and hopefully, informative and educational, Mini Bioblitz at the Mahoe Reserve. The weather cooperated and over 60 people of all ages searched the trails of the reserve identifying the flora and fauna and registering their findings on iNaturalist as part of the City to Nature Challenge.
At the Mahoe Blitz a total of 194 observations were uploaded to iNaturalist made up of 108 species. These formed part of the City to Nature Challenge Ōtautahi/Christchurch Project that recorded over 20,000 observations during the challenge!
Very grateful thanks to Mark and Hamish – Mark from Canterbury Museum who at short notice explained to everyone what the challenge involved and provided the various containers, nets etc. which proved to be essential. Hamish from Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research was on hand to identify the numerous plant types in the reserve.
Lincoln University student volunteers were kept very busy all afternoon identifying and helping people with the technology – there is no doubt that the various processes could not have run so smoothly without them and everyone had such an enjoyable experience. Thanks also to our own volunteers who set up and kept everyone engaged and happy.
Kia ora rawa atu!
The success of the event was such that we have undertaken to run another in spring as various plants flower and we will give some emphasis to these as well as the other exciting life forms to be found.
Dave Fitzjohn
Chair -
Selwyn Responsible Business Network Welcomes New Coordinator and is Looking Forward to an Exciting 2024.
We have recently been privileged to make the appointment of Maree Hamilton to the position of Selwyn Responsible Network Coordinator. Maree has recently returned from Europe and brings extensive experience from working on large business sustainability projects there. Maree has already begun engaging with local businesses and is looking forward to continued dialogue with the business community regarding their environmental and community initiatives.
The Selwyn Responsible Business Network aims to provide supportive contact with Selwyn’s businesses. Through discussion, sharing of best practices, initiatives and experiences we can enhance environmental sustainability and community resilience. As public awareness of these issues continues to grow we look forward to informing people about the excellent work being done by our local businesses.
2024 is a Selwyn Responsible Business Awards Year and we look forward to celebrating the endeavors of local organisations in environmental stewardship and community engagement.
These awards are held every two years. In 2022 the awards showcased around 80 enterprises.
“The Awards process is very straightforward with a visit and a chat rather than any form filling” explains Maree. “We hope many businesses will take the opportunity to share their achievements and be recognised for their sustainability commitments.”
The network is excited to collaborate and celebrate with Selwyn’s business community on building a more sustainable, resilient future.
To learn more about the Selwyn Responsible Business Network or the 2024 Awards contact Maree Hamilton.
Responsible Business Network Coordinator
022 438 4496
