Today, we went to Toby Hill Farm, where we were greeted by the landowner, Trevor, and his sheep dog, Ned. Trevor spoke to us about the different conservation efforts that have taken place on his sixty-one hectares of land since 2011. With help from the city council, they were able to set aside four blocks of land, totaling two hectares, for conservation. This all began with an ecological survey, which revealed the presence fifty-two different native species, the most prominent of which was Black Beech. Since 2011, over six thousand trees have been planted in the blocks, and they are currently flourishing. Each of these blocks is now surrounded by an electric fence to keep cattle out, which the city council also pays for.
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| This is what the landscape looked like back in 2011 |
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| This is what that same area looks like now; it's astonishing to see the progress! |
While we were there, we also helped Trevor with some of the upkeep of the restored areas. He explained to us that the hardest part of these projects is the upkeep, so today, we were clearing our different paths through the land with an electric hedge cutter, loppers, and clippers.
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| Lexie, hard at work |
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| Chris, using the hedge cutter |
After stopping for lunch, we watched Ned, the sheep dog, do a demonstration of herding sheep, and then Trevor gave us a demonstration of how to shear a sheep. He explained that there are four different types of wool: wool from the head, belly, body, and under the legs. He also told us that the world record for shearing sheep is five hundred and sixty adults in one day, and seven hundred and thirty lambs in one day; Trevor’s personal record is three hundred and eighty-one adults in one day, which is still very impressive!
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| Believe it or not, this big guy was actually still a lamb, and this was his first time being sheared! |
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| "He looks so naked now" |
After the demonstration, we went out to one of his fields to have a cricket rematch between the Wacky Wekas and the Killer Kiwis, only today, the Wekas came out on top with a score of 126-96.
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| Not a bad backdrop for a cricket game! |
On our way home, we made one final stop at Lord’s Bush Scenic Reserve for a quick walk to lick some trees! Some of the beech trees had scale insects on them which secrete honeydew droplets. We found the trees, and each enjoyed some honeydew before heading home for the afternoon.
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| The honeydew drops look so pretty alone the dark trees! |
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| Grace enjoying some honeydew |
To end the day, we went to the Little High Eatery, where we met again with Dr. Meurk’s students for dinner. There were many options, from ramen to burgers, so everyone was able to find something that they liked.
We only have two more full days here, so we are trying to soak up as much of New Zealand as possible!
Cheers!
Maryanna
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