The Stewart Island Community Native Nursery was originally set up in 2002 as a partnership between SIRCET, the Department of Conservation and Dancing Star Foundation.
The nursery we operate today has moved location since then to Traill Park at the centre of the Halfmoon Bay township.
The nursery propagates many different native plants, both endemic to the island and introduced. It is a great resource for the local community, providing eco-sourced native species to replace weed species and for restoration projects at Lonnekers Beach, Mill Creek and Harrold’s Bay. Plants are also available to local residents for an affordable donation. Increasing the presence of natives in private gardens provides food for bird species protected by other SIRCET projects.
Stewart Island and its surrounding islands are sites where nationally-significant threatened plant species grow. We are working on propagating a sustainable stock of these rare plants to reintroduce to key restoration sites, where deer and possum browse has led to these plants disappearing.
The Southern Rātā is an iconic native tree that is especially vulnerable to possum browse. Project Crimson helps groups like SIRCET to protect and propagate rātā and pōhutukawa species. Thanks to the support of Project Crimson we have been able to raise seedlings to plant back into areas where possum numbers are being controlled. The nursery is a great resource of information for workshops on native propagation and weeds.
The Community Native Nursery is a volunteer-lead project relying heavily on support from regular locals as well as visiting school groups to give their time to propagate and raise seedlings. The space is evolving to involve more people and make the most of the facility, recognising the wellbeing effects of ‘getting your hands dirty’ and connecting with plants and soil.
Projects in 2022:
- Upgrading facility with works to convert the disused concrete water tank to an indoor potting shed.
- Improving plant health and survival by building a shade-cloth structure over the facility.
- Supporting the restoration planting vision for the new Butterfields Beach BBQ Shelter area.
