The Community Native Nursery is a volunteer-lead project relying heavily on support from regular locals as well as visitor, and visiting school groups to give their time to propagate and raise seedlings. The space is evolving to involve more people and make the most of the facility, recognising the wellbeing effects of ‘getting your hands dirty’ and connecting with plants and soil. We run weekly Plant & Plot sessions on Wednesdays from 1-3pm. All are welcome, any age, or ability. Come and chat native plants with some of our knowlegable regulars.
The Stewart Island Community Native Plant Nursery was originally set up in 2002 as a partnership between SIRCET, the Department of Conservation and Dancing Star Foundation.
The nursery we operate today has moved location since then to Traill Park at the centre of the Halfmoon Bay township.
The nursery propagates many different native plants, both endemic to the island and introduced. It is a great resource for the local community, providing eco-sourced native species to replace weed species and for restoration projects at Lonnekers Beach, Mill Creek and Harrold Bay.
Plants are also available to take home to plant in your garden. Increasing the presence of natives in private gardens provides food for bird species, and habitat for native fauna protected by other SIRCET projects.
Stewart Island and its surrounding islands are sites where nationally-significant threatened plant species grow. We are working on propagating a sustainable stock of these rare plants to reintroduce to key restoration sites, where deer and possum browse has led to these plants disappearing.
We appreciate any donations towards the cost of running the nursery, either online, or in the donation box in the nursery.
