And it’s goodbye from me……keep me informed as spring blossoms

Very very unfortunately, I have had to leave Dunedin due to an injury. I need some rest and recuperation in the UK and do hope to be back in Dunedin again. I’m currently in Cambridge and would love to hear what’s going on in and around the Belt as I won’t be there to see it myself. It’s such a shame as I’ve returned to the UK for winter, having just endured a Dunedin winter in a student flat. Send any pictures on so that I can see what I’m missing down there in Dud! All the best to everyone Jill and I have worked with. I echo all of Jill’s comments in her last post, it has been a pleasure to meet and work with you all. Hope to see you and the Town Belt again someday soon. Mand

Reflections on our first blog

What began as a look at the town belt has proved to be a rich experience for both Mandy and for me. Our original idea to look closely at a place that was nearby grew into more than that, and we found ourselves interviewing artists, scientists, members of the Amenities Society, Opoho School pupils and their teachers, DCC workers, and neighbours who all care for the town belt in different ways.  It was a wonderful excuse to get out and meet interesting people who are paying attention to the “lungs of the city” as part of their everyday lives. These people are working hard to keep the Town Belt green and clean, and through their efforts, they make others more aware of the green space in the middle of the city of Dunedin.

 

Spring has sprung

Along the way, we have learned how to edit sound and video, use digital recording devices, and last but truly not least, how to negotiate our way through WordPress. Initially there where many frustrations with all of the tools we had to learn to use, but we now feel confident that we have the skills to blog through any future endeavours without too much turmoil. They are all worthy tools for the communication of science (and art).

 

We even had a giggle fit one day when we got a lot of hits on our blog! Quite cool.

Jill

And last but not least, Philip talks about how Opoho Bush has changed

Listen to our interview with Philip, a pupil from Opoho School. Philip talks about the changes he has seen in the bush since he first started planting the trees as a Yr 1 pupil. There is a lot less rubbish and a lot more birds. To listen to his interview click here.

Oliver and the great outdoors

Oliver, our last student from Opoho School, takes us on a whimsical journey through Opoho Bush and his own backyard. Hear about his close encounter with a possum and a trip to China. Click here to listen.

Listen to Fa’ao’o talk about caring for the Dunedin Town Belt

When we interviewed the children from Opoho School about their tree planting in the Dunedin Town Belt, we were intrigued by how different their experiences were. For some it was a time to let their imagination run wild, for others it was watching the trees that they planted grow over the years they attended their school, and for others it was almost like a treasure hunt every time they went, whether they were experiencing a possum close hand or finding all kinds of unexpected rubbish.

Listen to Fa’ao’o's experience

Podcast – Opoho Enviro School kids talk about their experience maintaining Dunedin Town Belt

Opoho enviro school kids talk about their experiences maintaining part of the Dunedin Town Belt

Jill and I visited the kids of Opoho School to ask them about their experiences maintaining part of Dunedin Town Belt over the years. We interviewed four children and we’ll be posting three other podcasts soon. Click above to listen to Amy.

Mand

The Kowhai are Blooming

Can Spring be far away?

With all this rain, there certainly should be a good Spring show. Yesterday I took my own advice about green space and mental health and stopped at Prospect Park. I got out of my car and had a good look around. It has been a tough few weeks for both of us, physically and mentally, and a bit of nature was just what the doctor ordered.

There are many mature kowhai trees along the edge of the road that borders the park. Some of them are starting to flower, and the tuis and bellbirds were feeling quite pleased about that or perhaps about something else this time of year…they were calling back and forth and the cold damp air was filled with their squawks, squeaks and melodious interludes. It was a good visit.  The birdsong was lovely, the yellow flowers were bright against the wet grey of the day, and it truly soothed my spirit.

Jill

Green Space and Wellbeing

In the past fifteen years, a number of researchers have been looking into how green space and well being are connected. Apparently there is a strong relationship between green space and both physical and mental well being of urban dwellers. A Dutch study of 10,000 people and their self-reported health found a positive relationship between their health and their proximity to  green space. This relationship was stronger when they looked at housewives and the elderly, and it became stronger again when they looked at lower income people, their self-reported health, and their proximity to green space.

A professor at the University of Michigan has looked into how the natural environment provides experiences that restore a sense of well being to people fatigued from stress.

In a 2003 article entitled The Relationship of Urban Design to Human Health and Condition Laura Jackson asserts ‘At the parcel scale, greenery and access to it visually and physically are the principal keys to health.’

So the next time you drive through the town belt, roll down your window, listen for the birds and think about stopping soon and taking a walk there to benefit your health.

Jill

Belt inspired art and poems

Stairs, Ross Creek Reserve. Oil on canvas painting by Dunedin artist Sam Foley

Sam has created many beautifully detailed paintings based on parts of the Town Belt, some, when in installations have moving images projected onto them, as well as associated sound pieces played – to play with your experiencing of them. In 2005, he had an exhibition entitled The Green Belt. see http://samfoley.co.nz/

A poem by Dunedin Poet, Richard Reeves – reproduced from Sam’s The Green Belt

To go ‘left’ – that is, to pass there as
every morning, and hear, no religion

but the camaraderie of birdsong.
The city below, snuffling through

undergrowth. I listen, and many a time
have been half in love with rotted twigs.

New Zealand breaking out of the tar.
And then Cargill, severing the mist.

Mand

More from “Project C.A.T.”

(C.A.T. stands for Cats Around Town)

As part of the University of Otago’s domestic cat tracking study, cat owners were asked to fill out data sheets. Findings about domestic cat habits were gathered from data sheets, radio tracking, and a random survey of 400 households to get an estimate of the number of domestic cats that may be living in Dunedin. Of the 400 households, 35% of them had cats, and it is estimated that 14,500 domestic cats live in Dunedin. The survey of radio tracked cats’ habits covered 217 cats (in 165 households) and their activities. Of these cats, 18% didn’t bring prey back at all, but 67% brought back prey regularly.

For the 217 cats that were more closely watched:

During the summer, they were active/outside for about 9 hours during the day and 1.5 hours during the night.

The average furthest distance traveled from their homes was 176m, although a couple cats ventured 400m and 560m from home.

The cats caught 1568 prey items from 46 species. A partial breakdown of their prey:

397 mice
192 rats
307 insects
109 silvereyes (the most commonly caught bird)
76 house sparrows
69 blackbirds

Rodents made up 38% of the prey that was caught year round, with a drop in numbers from July through September. (Thanks pussy cats for your rodent control services!)

Birds made up 31% of prey and were usually caught from November through January.

When the collected data was extrapolated to the domestic cat population for the entire city, the numbers were good and bad. Yes, we are grateful that Dunedin cats killed 28,981 mice, and 14,016 rats, but what about the 10,293 skinks?

We are not as concerned about the cats killing non-native birds: 5037 blackbirds, 5,548 sparrows, but what about the 7,957 silvereyes? And although there are still abundant numbers of silvereyes, cats have been hunting and killing our other more endangered native birds: fantails, bellbirds, tuis, kereru and brown creepers.

If your cat is a good hunter and killing a lot of birds and/or lizards, perhaps Princess could stay in every other day? Not too much of a sacrifice…

Jill

Thanks to Yolanda van Heezik at the University of Otago for providing us with this information.