Magic, a combination of corporate business initiatives, lots of hard work by schoolchildren and volunteers has created a beautiful regenerating shared story where nature is now in charge (with a little help from friends). Plain farmland was retired, Fonterra gifted the land to the community conservation project and hundreds of school children, service clubs continue to monitor and contribute time to the lakes. The patchwork of signs illustrates the diverse nature of the Nowell Lakes community. It is a fantastic resource for schoolchildren and visitors to savour the regeneration and get inspired.
The lake water naturally seeps into the gullies forming lakes which are purified by the peat subsoil and coastal dunes keep the water levels intact.
Highlights include
- An insect motel for invertebrates to make themselves at home with spy holes for visitors to peer inside.
- Koura or freshwater crays, birds and plants are flourishing in the windy, dry landscape.
- Swamps and gullies offer visitors a glimpse of native plantings and an environment returning to its natural state.
- Monarch butterflies in spring / summer attract butterflies
- Watch for feeding kingfisher birds
- A picnic where the massive Fonterra plant glimmers in the background looking incongruous yet oddly attractive.
