News from the Valley

🌿 Join the Backyard Battle for Biodiversity in North East Valley! 🐦 We’re calling on YOU — our passionate urban nature lovers — to take part in a community-driven conservation mission like no other! The Open Valley Urban Ecosanctuary is launching a Predator Trapping Program right here in North East Valley, and we want you on the team. 🛠 What’s This All About? You’ll be working alongside your neighbours in a collective mission to trap backyard predators (like rats) that threaten our native wildlife. With the tools and guidance provided, you’ll play a hands-on role in conservation — …

🌊 Help Keep Lindsay Creek Beautiful! 🌿 Join Us for a Community Creek Clean-Up – June 5th, 10–11am Roll up your sleeves and join your fellow nature lovers for a feel-good morning of action and connection as we work together to protect one of North East Valley’s natural gems — Lindsay Creek! 🗓 When & Where: 📅 Wednesday, 5th June 🕙 10:00am – 11:00am 📍 Meet on the deck of the Valley Project office (262 North Road) We'll be walking the length of Lindsay Creek to pick up litter before it makes its way into our waterways — helping …

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 …

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  …

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 …

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.