Tuesday 19 March 2019
Omeo Test
Tracy testing the Omeo Wheelchair at Mt Chocolate on 18 March 2019. It handled the tracks easily. Thanks, Shannon Arnold for the bringing an Omeo for Tracy to try.
Monday 11 February 2019
Seaward Bush Scenic Reserve
Yesterday, Tracy, Avon and I went for a leisurely walk through Seaward Bush Scenic Reserve near Invercargill. This reserve is a small remnant of the Miro swamp forest that stretched from Clifton to Woodlands till 1905.
It was a stunning day so Tracy took lots of photos of plants and uploaded them to iNaturalist for identification.
It was a stunning day so Tracy took lots of photos of plants and uploaded them to iNaturalist for identification.
Wednesday 26 December 2018
Recording observations using a phone app
Photos taken of plants and animals found at Mt Chocolate are being used to discover what is living there now.
We are using a very easy tool called iNaturalist to help do this. It is a free app that can be downloaded onto a mobile phone and then be used to take photos. Some simple notes are added in the field at the time. The app then uses automated machine learning to guess what the plant or animal is. Other people using iNaturalist can also help work out what the correct name is.
So far 55 different observations have been made and most have been correctly identified. These include lots of the different weeds growing at Mt Chocolate and the growing number of native plants that have been planted.
The observations can be seen at
http://www.mtchocolate.com/p/observations.html
We are using a very easy tool called iNaturalist to help do this. It is a free app that can be downloaded onto a mobile phone and then be used to take photos. Some simple notes are added in the field at the time. The app then uses automated machine learning to guess what the plant or animal is. Other people using iNaturalist can also help work out what the correct name is.
So far 55 different observations have been made and most have been correctly identified. These include lots of the different weeds growing at Mt Chocolate and the growing number of native plants that have been planted.
The observations can be seen at
http://www.mtchocolate.com/p/observations.html
Onion Orchid |
5 finger |
Friday 21 December 2018
Mt Chocolate 101
Mt Chocolate is the name given to a 10,000 square meter paddock (1
Ha, or 2.5 acre).
Located on the edge of town in semi-rural Clifton, a suburb in Invercargill, NZ. On one side are houses and on the other rolling farmland.
Mt Chocolate was formerly pasture that had been over grazed in recent years by horses and cattle. It was originally Miro swamp forest that was burned by a major fire in 1905.
The land was purchased on August 1 2014 to build a family home and art studio for the owners Mike & Tracy Peters.
In September 2014, the entire paddock was sprayed with Glysophate to kill all grass and weeds and to expose a mountain of buried rubbiish.
A loaned digger (back-hoe) from a neighbour was used to break up the compacted soil and all buried rubbish was carefully removed. This took 2 years.
Planting of NZ native species began in June 2015 in areas where the damaged soil structure had been repaired.
A native plant nursery has been established on site to grow 200 different plant species using Seaward Bush as the ecosystem template to copy. Seaward Bush is a nearby forest remnant from the original fire and has similar geography, climate, and soil.
The nursery grows an average of 1000 plants a year from seed which are then usually planted in July and August during the winter.
Experimental planting trials are being used to find the most efficient way to establish tall Miro swamp forest. The main experiment is with using the native Poroporo as a nursery species to eliminate competition from introduced grasses. The trials are also to work out timing, the best combinations of species, the most effective use of chemical control, and any feedback loops, etc.
There have also been experiments with plant propagation methods including seed processing, watering, use of pine needles as acidifier mulches, etc.
Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement.
Located on the edge of town in semi-rural Clifton, a suburb in Invercargill, NZ. On one side are houses and on the other rolling farmland.
Mt Chocolate was formerly pasture that had been over grazed in recent years by horses and cattle. It was originally Miro swamp forest that was burned by a major fire in 1905.
The land was purchased on August 1 2014 to build a family home and art studio for the owners Mike & Tracy Peters.
In September 2014, the entire paddock was sprayed with Glysophate to kill all grass and weeds and to expose a mountain of buried rubbiish.
A loaned digger (back-hoe) from a neighbour was used to break up the compacted soil and all buried rubbish was carefully removed. This took 2 years.
Planting of NZ native species began in June 2015 in areas where the damaged soil structure had been repaired.
A native plant nursery has been established on site to grow 200 different plant species using Seaward Bush as the ecosystem template to copy. Seaward Bush is a nearby forest remnant from the original fire and has similar geography, climate, and soil.
The nursery grows an average of 1000 plants a year from seed which are then usually planted in July and August during the winter.
Experimental planting trials are being used to find the most efficient way to establish tall Miro swamp forest. The main experiment is with using the native Poroporo as a nursery species to eliminate competition from introduced grasses. The trials are also to work out timing, the best combinations of species, the most effective use of chemical control, and any feedback loops, etc.
There have also been experiments with plant propagation methods including seed processing, watering, use of pine needles as acidifier mulches, etc.
Visitors are welcome by prior arrangement.
Tuesday 11 December 2018
Mt Chocolate Nursery
Mt Chocolate has a native plant nursery to propagate and grow 220 different species to plant at Mt Chocolate over time. The nursery does not sell plants to the public. Though we are happy to swap surplus eco-sourced seed with other propagators.
This year's production target is 2000 plants ready to plant next year.
Currently being grown is;
Currently being grown is;
- Aristotelia serrata (wineberry, makomako)
- Astelia fragrans (bush lily, bush flax, kakaha)
- Austroderia richardii (toitoi)
- Carex secta (makura)
- Carpodetus serratus (marbleleaf, putaputaweta)
- Chionochloa rubra (red tussock grass)
- Cordyline australis (cabbage tree, ti kouka)
- Hebe salicifolia (koromiko)
- Leptospermum scoparium (manuka)
- Melicytus lanceolatus (narrow-leaved mahoe)
- Pittosporum eugenioides (lemonwood)
- Pittosporum tenuifolium (black matipo)
- Phormium tenax (NZ flax, harakeke)
- Podocarpus totara (totara)
- Solanium laciniatum (poroporo)
Monday 7 August 2017
Building the road
Part of creating Mt Chocolate has been constructing a private access way in from Severn St to the future house and art studio. This road is 100m long, is built on clay and includes a turning circle.
A lot of time was spent in the last 24 months, scraping off the top soil for use elsewhere. This soil is a kind of peat and is not suitable under roads but great under trees. The clay however is quite hard and packs down well.
During the rainy months, especially winter, the clay gets very wet and goes puggy making use of heavy machinery difficult. All I had to use was a 1.5 Tonne digger (Back Hoe).
I went and talked to road construction workers in the area and watched while they worked to get an idea on how to do the job. I also asked 2 civil engineers for advice.
The common suggestion was to use "Base Course" from Edendale. This is basically big round river boulders and stones. It packs down very hard, but requires a bulldozer to shift and compact. It has to be delivered by very large twin axle trucks which would chew up the wet and now softened clay.
The solution I came up with was to use AP65 Dunite, an Olivine rock from a Greenhills quarry near Bluff. A 200mm layer of AP65 would need to be laid on top of Bidim Geotextile roading fabric which would lie on the clay. Another 50mm layer of AP40 Dunite would be laid on top of the AP65. Finally a layer of "Top Course" which is fine Dunite.
The small digger bucket could handle the quarried Dunite because of it's jagged shape.
All of these layers needed to be carefully laid using a small truck that carries 3 cubic meters, or 5.4 metric Tonnes. The truck driver had to back in and tip the aggregate without driving on the fabric. The small digger was placed on sheets of plywood on top of the Geotextile on top of the wet clay. The digger bucket was then used to pull the aggregate back over the roading fabric.
Everything was compacted as it was laid, first using the digger, then our 2 ton Toyota Prado, and finally the fully loaded delivery truck. The road will be compacted even more when the clay dries out in Summer.
The road is 4.5 meters wide and is 80% completed.
The whole job has gone really well. Not bad for a total beginner.
A big thank you to Chris the truck driver who delivered the aggregate, and Dave for the loan of the digger.
A lot of time was spent in the last 24 months, scraping off the top soil for use elsewhere. This soil is a kind of peat and is not suitable under roads but great under trees. The clay however is quite hard and packs down well.
During the rainy months, especially winter, the clay gets very wet and goes puggy making use of heavy machinery difficult. All I had to use was a 1.5 Tonne digger (Back Hoe).
I went and talked to road construction workers in the area and watched while they worked to get an idea on how to do the job. I also asked 2 civil engineers for advice.
The common suggestion was to use "Base Course" from Edendale. This is basically big round river boulders and stones. It packs down very hard, but requires a bulldozer to shift and compact. It has to be delivered by very large twin axle trucks which would chew up the wet and now softened clay.
The solution I came up with was to use AP65 Dunite, an Olivine rock from a Greenhills quarry near Bluff. A 200mm layer of AP65 would need to be laid on top of Bidim Geotextile roading fabric which would lie on the clay. Another 50mm layer of AP40 Dunite would be laid on top of the AP65. Finally a layer of "Top Course" which is fine Dunite.
The small digger bucket could handle the quarried Dunite because of it's jagged shape.
All of these layers needed to be carefully laid using a small truck that carries 3 cubic meters, or 5.4 metric Tonnes. The truck driver had to back in and tip the aggregate without driving on the fabric. The small digger was placed on sheets of plywood on top of the Geotextile on top of the wet clay. The digger bucket was then used to pull the aggregate back over the roading fabric.
Everything was compacted as it was laid, first using the digger, then our 2 ton Toyota Prado, and finally the fully loaded delivery truck. The road will be compacted even more when the clay dries out in Summer.
The road is 4.5 meters wide and is 80% completed.
The whole job has gone really well. Not bad for a total beginner.
A big thank you to Chris the truck driver who delivered the aggregate, and Dave for the loan of the digger.
Wednesday 26 July 2017
An Exhibition Thank You
I would like to thank all the family, friends and neighbours who visited the recent Mt Chocolate exhibition to have a look, showed a lot of curiosity and got Mike thinking even more. 150 visited the exhibition during the week which was a good turnout given the location. In addition 20 attended (child and a parent together) a creative workshop by Mike for dyslexic minds.
Thanks are also given to;
Thanks are also given to;
- Ari Edgecombe, Jan Ormsby, Frazer Murdoch, Steve Solomon and Elaine Matheson from the South Alive Arts Group for help with arranging and setting up the exhibition.
- Nikki Aaron and Cress Evans from the office, Peggy Peek and Margaret Cook and the other South Alive Trustees for making the gallery available. Peggy for her wonderful welcome to guests at the opening.
- Chris Cole of Dyslexia Support Southland for organising the creative workshop for dyslexic children with their parents.
- Chris Dawson from Lego Users Group South (SouthLUG) for the loan of a big bucket of 20Kg of Lego bricks.
- Chris and Brian Rance from Southland Community Nursery for the loan of 30 native plants.
- David Fallow for heavy lifting, Steve Woller for a whole lot of heavy lifting and for being a wise sounding board about graphic design.
- Ross Nicoll from Southland Woodworkers Guild (SWG) for the loan of a scroll saw used to make the 1:25 scale model buildings.
- And finally Tracy Peters of Bodkin fame for keeping Mike to task, Chocolate catering, guiding visitors, driving, invitations and everything else that happens behind the scenes.
Saturday 1 July 2017
Mt Chocolate - The Exhibition A4 Poster
Here is the poster for Mt Chocolate - The Exhibition
The poster can be downloaded as a PDF for printing
Mt Chocolate: The Exhibition A4 Poster
The poster can be downloaded as a PDF for printing
Mt Chocolate: The Exhibition A4 Poster
Tuesday 6 June 2017
Geology of Southland
I found this great hand drawn map in The Field Guide to New Zealand Geology by Jocelyn Thornton. Published by Penguin.
Sunday 4 June 2017
1865 maps of Southland
This is a small part of a larger sketch map of the Province of Southland, New Zealand, from official surveys till June 1865. This picture shows the area covered in native bush near Invercargill.
Source Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map 3817
This is a small part of a larger cadestral or liand title map of the Province of Southland, New Zealand, from official surveys till June 1865. This picture shows the early land sections near Invercargill.
Source Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map 3842
Source Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map 3817
This is a small part of a larger cadestral or liand title map of the Province of Southland, New Zealand, from official surveys till June 1865. This picture shows the early land sections near Invercargill.
Source Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, NZ Map 3842
Wednesday 31 May 2017
Mt Chocolate - The Exhibition
Discover the hidden story behind a nature conservation project and the building of a home and art studio in Clifton, Invercargill.
An exhibition by Filmmaker and Sculptor Mike Peters
An exhibition by Filmmaker and Sculptor Mike Peters
Sunday 16 - Sunday 23 July, 10am - 4pm
South Alive Art Gallery
South City Mall, Elles Rd, Invercargill
Architectural Models + Landscape & Botanical Photography + Handmade Book + Design & Construction Drawings
Tuesday 30 May 2017
Mountain Tauhinu
This afternoon I got this photo of a Ozothamnus vauvilliersii plant growing beside the Waituna Wetland near Bluff.
This plant is also known as Mountain Tauhinu or Mountain Cottonwood. It grows quite low down in the far south and likes dry sites. It will be a great native species to propagate and plant out on the north facing slopes of Mt Chocolate.
There is more information available about this native plant.
Tuesday 7 July 2015
Winter blast
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