News from the Valley

Looking for a way to connect with nature this spring? One way that we love to connect with nature is through nature journaling, the process of recording your observations about nature onto paper. Local Illustrator Jo Bone, shows us how to do this by making string nature circles. Check out the activity below for how to make your own! How to make a string nature circle: Draw a circle on a piece of paper with a compass or plate. Cut a piece of string long enough to make a decent-sized loop, grab something to draw with and go for …

During this hands-on workshop, you will discover the joy of creating quilts. The idea of the project is a reference to gender equality and the feminist movement as a form of resistance against gender discrimination in society. The Quilt Project will integrate math and art to create your own block to share your views on gender inequality. The Quilt Project is aiming to create the large-scale block quilt with panels created with an applique of math basic symbols such as (not equal sign, inequality sign, and power sign etc.) Each panel will illustrate the inequitable status of women in …

A NEW addition to the Valley Project team, a New Zealand Falcon, or kārearea in Te Reo Māori, can be found enhancing the entrance to the car park on North Road. This beautiful mural, painted by Bruce Mahalski from the Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery signifies all of the amazing biodiversity found within the North East Valley and surrounding suburbs. His image is inspired by a photograph by Keith Payne. But, why the kārearea, and why is it so special? We have heard many stories from local community members remarking on the wonderful and fierce nature of the …

How about taking a ramble for the holidays? With the days becoming longer and warmer, I feel the pull of exploring the outdoors becoming much stronger. With the school holidays and warm spring weather, I find myself with some spare time to spend outside. Chingford Park up North Road offers plenty of opportunity to satisfy my craving for the outdoors. Lindsay Creek, running through the heart of Chingford Park and the Valley itself is particularly alluring as the sight and sound of the water flowing across the river-bed has a calming effect. The creek is also home to many …

Inspired sharing of moments of joy, from Tahu Mackenzie BUBBLE VISION began for me when I saw a Facebook post from my friend Kassandra Lynne on her Photography page, a beautiful snapshot of a moment in her day and some musings on her feelings at the time the photo was taken. Like an exhilarating and pleasurable bolt of lightning the inspiration struck! I realised I wanted to make a space for people to share photos of what they were loving from their beloved bubbles every day and Bubble Vision was born! We started on the first day of lockdown …

#wildwindows #openVUE Join us in the Wild Windows and Flighty Flags art display! Let’s celebrate this wonderful wild world and fill our valley with pictures of native birds in our windows (or fly a flag if your window is too hard to see for passers-by). Over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May, let’s fill the community with birds to let them know how welcome they are here. This is one easy way to bring the Kākā to the valley, a true “window of opportunity”! Please take photos of your creations and post them on social media …

The Community Classroom has been busy taking an interesting and diverse range of enquiries from people interested in teaching classes for the inaugural Dunedin Summer School at the beginning of next year. Coordinator Melissa Pronk is putting out the final call for people interested in running a session, class or workshop. Registrations need to be in by Tuesday 5 November for the class to be listed in printed marketing materials. Register here. Registrations can still be taken after this date but will only be marketed online on social media. Community education for everyone The idea of the Summer School …

Broken things, discarded and free objects on the side of the road and buildings in various states of disrepair have all been the focus of local resident Hayley Walmsley’s lens. She has snapped over 4000 images, mostly on walks to and from school or while out doing errands. The project, titled Suzie No Friends, was undertaken for her master’s of visual arts at Otago Polytechnic, and her work will be on public display until Friday 6 September. North East Valley and north Dunedin feature heavily among the images, but Hayley also visited places as far away as Waimate, Oamaru …