News from the Valley

Join us on the 5th of June from 10am-11am to help keep our beautiful Lindsay Creek clean! We will be meeting on the deck of the Valley Project office (262 North Road) and walking the length of Lindsay Creek to pick up litter that would otherwise end up in our waterways. Sturdy boots are recommended, closed-toed shoes are required. Gloves, grabbers and bags will be provided. Morning tea to follow. Email openvue@northeastvalley.org to rsvp

Keen to connect with nature, flex your citizen science muscles, and help protect our feathered friends? The NZ Garden Bird Survey is back from 28 June to 6 July, and your backyard is a key research site! Birds are fantastic indicators of ecosystem health, and your counts help scientists track trends in native and introduced species within our beautiful urban ecosanctuary and across Aotearoa. You don’t need to be a bird expert – just set aside one hour, find a comfy spot (thermos of tea optional but encouraged), and record the birds you see. Stuck between a tūī and …

We are excited to invite you to join our urban ecosanctuary community in a vital initiative: a predator trapping program designed to protect our precious native species and restore the unique ecosystems that make North East Valley and New Zealand such a remarkable place to live. Working alongside your neighbours, you will be provided with the needed tools to engage in hands-on conservation efforts while also contributing to a research initiative aimed at gathering information regarding the impact domesticated pets have on predator species in backyard spaces. This program not only benefits our ecosystems but also promotes personal well-being …

New Zealand has several kinds of native wasps which have evolved here and are not a nuisance. However, five species of social wasps have been introduced in the last 80 years and have become pests. These include German and common wasps, and three species of paper wasps. These introduced wasps harm our native birds and insects (including attacking beehives), as well as being a threat to human health. There is a particular concern for German and common wasps in New Zealand as they have no natural predators here, giving way to some of the highest densities in the world  …

EASTER EGG HUNT AND EASTER BUNNY ON THE LOOSE IN THE VALLEY! Do you want some school holiday fun, or just keen to hunt out some chocolaty goodness? From 16 April to 24 April we will have a daily Easter Egg hunt to find the Golden Egg located at 9 sites across the Valley. All you have to do is find it! To register fill out the form below and cost to enter is $2.50 per person. Follow the directions on the form for payment. When you are fully registered you will be added to the Easter Egg Hunt …

Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary (Open VUE) relies on volunteers to provide support by offering their time, skills, and expertise. There are many wonderful ideas coming from the residents to promote and increase biodiversity within the Valley. However, as with most volunteer-based organisations, Open VUE has quite a few challenges associated with getting these ideas to fruition due to low volunteer turnout. Funded by The Otago Museum Trust Board Curious Minds platform, Open VUE launched a participatory science project in June 2024 called Kaitiakitaka in Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary. The goal is to sustainably continue community-led conservation in an effort …

The Centre has a rich history. In 1973, the newsletter of the Dunedin Collective for Women reported: "On the local scene, a group of dedicated, energetic parents, frustrated by the scarcity of established and quality pre-school centres, is endeavouring to open an independent centre with a difference. Its function is two-fold – to provide a stimulating educative programme for pre-schoolers, while at the same time fulfilling an urgent daycare need for parents working outside the home and helping to free women from gender discrimination. The group envisaged housing the school in the Leith Valley." The Dunedin Collective for Woman …

You're Invited to The Valley Project AGM! We are excited to invite everyone in our community to our upcoming Annual General Meeting. It’s a great opportunity to get involved, share ideas, and help shape the future of our neighbourhood. We’re especially looking for enthusiastic members to join our executive team. Whether you’ve got ideas to help our community thrive or simply want to learn more, we’d love to have you! Date: Wednesday, 13 November 2024 Time: 5.30pm Location: North East Valley Normal School Hall, 248 North Road, North East Valley Interested in joining the executive? Nominations are open until …

Join us for our annual Keep NZ Beautiful Clean-Up! We will be meeting at the Valley Project office, 262 North Road, at 10am on Friday the 27th of September. Please wear appropriate footwear and sun safe clothing. Gloves and bags will be provided. If you have any questions please email openvue@northeastvalley.org or call 473 8614.

Do you enjoy making things? Are you tired of spending money on menstrual care every month? Would you like to reduce waste by using reusable pads instead of disposable ones? Are you looking for alternatives due to allergies or discomfort from conventional pads or tampons? Want to manage your period more sustainably? Join us for the Pad Kit Making Challenge! Research shows that a menstruator can save on average at least $2000 by using reusable options instead of disposable products, and we believe the real amount is even higher. Using reusable pads can benefit your health by avoiding chemicals …

On July 20th 2024 the Valley Baptist Community Centre buzzed with the Winter Warmer free market, an event attracting dozens of Dunedinites thrilled to share in the bounty on offer.  The local neighbourhood, anxious to ensure everybody feels warm and nurtured through the colder months, donated generously so everybody arriving was greeted by tables laden with donations: cosy coats and versatile jackets, onesies and hand-knitted jumpers, every kind of sweatshirt and pants, all kinds of boots, shoes and good as new slippers - a bonanza of giveaway clothing inviting a thorough rumage. Eager volunteers were on hand to help with the thoughtful …

The results are in, and we can count ourselves lucky here in North East Valley! Thanks to students from Otago Polytechnic and the Nature Club at North East Valley Normal School, we were able to contribute data for the 2024 NZ Bird Count from four different locations in North East Valley. Observations were made between 29 June – 7 July, and sites included Chingford Park, Bethune’s Gully, Wilkinson Street Park in Pine Hill, and the North East Valley Community Garden behind the Normal School. Manu pango (blackbirds), korimako (bellbirds) and pīwakawaka (fantail) were observed at all four sites. Students …