Te Manawa's green space gets a helping hand

Lisa Christensen and her daughter Aaria Christensen-White build a natural tent using harekeke leaves and flowers. Photo / Judith Lacy

The Bugs! Our Backyard Heroes exhibition finished in May, but Te Manawa hasn't forgotten the superpowers of critters.

The museum has teamed up with Manawatū Food Action Network to create an outdoor education space in the museum's courtyard.

The green space was used for bug censuses in conjunction with the exhibition.

A backyard biodiversity working bee on Saturday put in bark pathways, plants and Ruud Kleinpaste's pollinator blend seed mix. The mix contains rudbeckia, thyme, red clover, phacelia, salvia, cornflower, and poppy seeds - plants high in nectar and pollen.

The sign says it all at the Te Manawa green space. Photo / Judith Lacy

The wild lawns are designed to help the earth store carbon, bees pollinate and restore the climate.

Food Action Network's bucket garden now lives at the green space. Network co-ordinator Lisa Christensen says they have been researching different ways for people to garden regardless of how much space they have. Buckets in a portable wooden frame are good for renters and people in transitional housing.

The network's tool bank was on display, as well as information about seed and crop swapping, community gardens and fruit harvesting, and Te Pakikitiki Garden Hour. The Manawatū Beekeepers Club also had a display including an observation hive.