Riverton Environment Centre - South Coast Environment Society

09/10/2026

Want to give something good this Christmas? You could support our Heritage apple projects PledgeMe and you can give someone you love the reward! ❤️🍎

Our rewards include:
- a one year old heritage apple tree delivered anywhere in Southland
-an autumn heritage fruit sampler box posted anywhere in NZ
- a private tour & Devonshire tea in a heritage orchard park
-a forest garden tour with the Guytons

https://pledgeme.co.nz/projects/9279-southland-open-orchard-project-uncovering-our-apples-heritage-with-dna-tests

01/10/2026

Did you know that apples have a family tree just like humans? Like us, every apple pip is a unqie mix of its ancestors.

We're delighted to have an incredible opportunity for our Southland Heritage apple collection to be DNA tested. This will reveal many more details about our udentified apples and some will be an exact match. We expect to unearth 100 new named varieties!

This is something that we have wanted to do for many years, but as yet, have not been able to secure funding to pay for the testing. Now, thanks to Aaron, a University of Otago researcher, we now have the chance to DNA test 300 apples, at cost price!

We need your help to take advantage of this one-off opportunity, and we are offering some exclusive rewards to say THANK YOU!

Read more about the Open Orchard Project and find out how you can support here:

You can help uncover the secret identity of Southland's heritage apples.

25/09/2026

Orchard project on the radio tonight:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/20260925 and we are setting up a pledge me page for the DNA testing this week for cool rewards for those who can donate.

8:50 PM.His albums Talk Is Cheap and Love Loyalty Respect both hit #1 on the Top 20 Aotearoa Album Charts and he's recently dropped his latest single, Crank It Up. Read more Audio

11/09/2026

10% off all trees for the last 10 days of our fruit tree sale.
30 apple varieties: cooking, eating and c***r
A couple of pear, plum and quince varieties.
Order on line now as only one or two left of most, and pick up over the next 10 days. https://www.sces.org.nz/fruittreesale You can keep them damp in the shade for a few days waiting for the weather to improve before you plant them. Check out the Farmers weekly story about our Open Orchard project https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/people/south-island-apple-detectives-on-the-trail-of-heritage-fruit/

08/09/2026

It's always a privilege to be invited to visit the wonderful Fiordland Community Garden to support their community learning programme!

Nick is heading up there this Saturday (12th) to run two workshops: Intro to Organic Gardening (10am - 12pm) and Intro to Permaculture (1pm - 3pm).

The first is perfect for anyone looking to produce some kai at home without resorting to using synthetic chemical fertilisers or pesticides and the second is for those looking to leverage natural systems to develop beautiful productive homes, neighbourhoods and communities by utilising permaculture design. More dtails on the posters!

(and for those looking for more inspiration and more in-depth permaculture learning, Nick and Gardensforlife Aparimariverton is also running a Permaculture in Practice workshop at his land in Riverton on the 26th!)

25/08/2026

Nick has been busy visiting a whole lot of Southland Enviroschools over this term getting them enthused about compost! A great collaboration between WasteNet Southland, Environment Southland and the South Coast Environment Society.

19/08/2026

Special deal- big and beautiful: cauli and cabbages only $5.50 each or any two for $10. (we were sent 6 crates of each rather than 6 items!)

14/08/2026

We still have fruit trees!

41 varieties of apple, 3 varieties of apricot, a sour cherry (perfect for pies!), 2 types of nashi, 3 different peaches, nectarines, 6 different pears, 9 types of plum (including two mouth-watering prune plums) and 2 kinds of quinces!

All funds raised support our Open Orchard project 😊

Buy online or pop in to Riverton Environment Centre to get yours today!

31/07/2026

Fruit tree sale now on, go to our website for more details. sces.org.nz. Article in the paper today:
https://www.thepress.co.nz/rural/361043960/meet-farmers-south-robyn-guyton

Robyn Guyton talks about why she grows so many different varieties of apples and what makes it a beautiful job year-round.

21/07/2026

It's all happening - a huge range of fruit trees and shrubs are selling fast!

We've already sold out of a couple of things but the good news is there's still more - but if you're hanging back you'd better get in now before there's nothing left!

Apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums and so much more at the best prices:

www.sces.org.nz/fruittreesale