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  …

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 …

Due to the adverse weather predicted for Thursday 3 October we have moved this year’s event to The Valley Project, 262 North Road, Dunedin. On Thursday, 3rd October join the Valley Project, community and conservation  groups, local schools and your neighbours for an afternoon of family-friendly fun put on by The Valley Project and its partners! 1pm – 4PM The Valley Project, 262 North Road, North East Valley COMMUNITY STALLS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD TUCKS FREE but Koha is always appreciated. To celebrate Lindsay Creek, learn and engage with environmental topics and practices that benefit the awa and …

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.

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 …

Open VUE is holding a native plant sale to celebrate World Environment Day on Wednesday, 5 June from 9am-2pm at the Valley Project office in North East Valley. The sale will include tree fuchsia/kōtukutuku, coprosma robusta/karamū, veronica salicifolia/koromiko, cabbage trees/tī kōuka, kunzea ericoides/kānuka, kōwhai, and dodonaea viscosa/akeake, among others. The prices will range from $3-$4, depending on the size of the plant. Cash and eftpos are accepted. These plants were germinated and grown as part of our native propagation nursery. All proceeds from the sale will fund future projects associated with the propagation nursery's efforts to tackle climate change …

Thank you for your interest in the Garden Star program. Please fill out the form to calculate your garden biodiversity rating. By completing and submitting this form, you'll be eligible for a FREE VOUCHER to purchase two native plants from Ribbonwood Nursery. You can submit the form by emailing it to openvue@northeastvalley.org or you can print it out and drop it to the Valley Project office at 262 North Road. 

Bird feeding is a common activity throughout the world, with birds being fed a range of foods from bread (5.1 million loaves in NZ) to seeds, fat, fruit and sugar water. When asked, people said they found bird feeding enjoyable and pleasurable. This connection to nature provided by feeding birds, has been found to be highly psychologically beneficial. I know for myself, in Winter, I find I am fascinated by watching birds nibbling at an apple I’ve put out for them, although I’m often put off by the slightly shriveled apple skins they leave behind! Sugar water might be …