Swan plant cuttings needed for poor starving Monarch caterpillars
Hello neighbours,I ,like many others,have been helping to get Monarch butterflies safely through their caterpillar and chrysalis stages each spring/summer.If not kept away from paper wasps and some other insects,hardly any actually become butterflies around here.This year there has strangely been no activity on my plants here in Stoke,but a friend in Hope has started doing it and due to some very proliferic breeders,her plants and my adopted ones are now stripped ,with dozens of caterpillars needing to reach chrysalis still,and more eggs laid.I used to be able to get extra greenery from the railway reserve,but the council in it' s stupid wisdom has seen to have all swan plants there pulled out,and possibly poisoned.Duh.Anyone out there who is willing to donate leafy shoots from their larger plant(s) please contact me,the butterflies would really appreciate it.Thanks Judy 5479143
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
🌿 n8tidy – Week #14 Garden Clean-Up Giveaway!
Comment “I’m in!” to enter – Winner drawn Friday
Hi neighbours! 👋
Welcome to Week #13 of our community giveaway!
One lucky neighbour will win 1 hour of free gardening/yard clean-up from n8tidy this week.
How to participate
💬 Comment “I’m in!” below to enter
📅 Entries close Friday
🎲 Draw will take place Friday evening
5️⃣ Minimum 5 participants required
🙅 Current n8tidy customers cannot participate
🔄 You can join again every week!
What you can use your free hour for
- Weed removal
- Edging & trimming
- Light pruning
- Lawn mowing/Garden tidy-up
No green waste collection
The winner will be contacted directly to arrange their free clean-up hour.
Good luck everyone — and thanks for supporting local! 🌿😊
Fred - n8tidy
www.n8tidy.co.nz...
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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