Our traplines at Rangitoto Lands allow us to observe the seasonal changes of trees on the boundary of the Norther Pureora Forest and the Oliver’s farm. There was a very big fruiting for our local Tawa and Miro trees this year. The Bulled Family, who manage Owawenga Station, have two enterprising future botanists.
Lulu (8) and Riley (6) Bulled were asked to help two nurseries by supplying fruit for propagation. We offered to contribute up to ½ the price of a top-quality sleeping mat for camping (they do a lot of that and hunting). When we came to get the fruit we were gobsmacked to see they had collected 22 kilograms of Tawa fruit. The price they received is commercially sensitive but we can share that they got the mats and some money towards their education.
Discussions were had with Otewa Primary School, Otorohonga to enlist more children to learn when natives fruit and how to propagate that fruit. They already grow natives at their nursery but this initiative takes the lessons further. They will learn to identify native plants, learn their fruiting characteristics and how to plant them in seed trays. If the fruit is viable they will see Tawa germinating within a couple of months but learn that Miro take several years. This should grow the potential botanist pool significantly.
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