Your Place

It’s not just Tawa’s 10 reserves that make up our natural environment – our conservation activities in our own home micro-reserves can also make a big difference

What’s happening at your place?

We’d love to share information on your activities – please send your contributions to newsletter@tawabush.org.nz

Ongaonga, or native stinging nettle, is the only place that the Red Admiral butterfly will lay its eggs.

A FOTBR committee member has been growing Ongaonga from seed, in pots at home and his endeavours have been rewarded! The plants are now well chewed and caterpillars (below) have hatched and begun to pupate

One of these plants, complete with two chrysalids and one caterpillar, has since gone to Redwood School for a project on the life cycle of Butterflies, including the Red Admiral.

Question: Why is this photo blurry?

Answer: the pupa inside the chrysalis was swinging from side to side for hours before it eventually hatched the next day.

But that’s not RED?!

This one was a Yellow Admiral. We are waiting to hear if any Red Admirals emerged….

Potted seedlings ready to become Red (and Yellow) Admiral hotels.

---