Issue 17 • June 2012 - Waiariki Institute of Technology

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Gardening in winter As the old tongue twister goes, prior preparation prevents poor performance. This applies to gardening and winter is the best time to begin your preparations for a bountiful spring and summer garden. • Experienced gardeners know that healthy soil is the key to healthy plants and now is the best time to prepare your soil. • Assess the amount of sun reaching your garden, as most plants grow best in semi-shady or sunny locations. Remove or prune any trees or shrubs blocking sunlight. Watch for where the early morning sun lands and where the last rays shine in the evening. • Wet soil creates many problems so avoid gardening in low areas that naturally collect water, areas next to roof down pipes, at bottoms of slopes. • High traffic areas with compacted soils will have had most of the air removed. Digging or tilling the ground will help add more air. • Weed removal is important. Avoid digging weeds under the soil or using a rotary hoe to hide them. In most cases you will increase the number of weeds like kikuyu and dock by breaking the plants in to smaller pieces – they haven’t been killed, will grow back and compete with young plants and become far more difficult to remove without damage to your new plantings. • Small gardens are best weeded by hand using a garden fork. Start with the grasses, lever each plant up, give them a good shake to preserve your precious soil, and put them on the compost heap or dig a large hole for trench composting. Do the same to permanent weeds like dock and dandelion. The aim is to remove all roots and is best done plant by plant, not by cutting up the weed. • After all weeds have been removed, dig the soil over and add your favourite fertiliser. • Another way to get rid of weeds – or a lawn which is to become garden space – smother the area with several layers of newspaper, or plywood, old carpet, mill felt, corrugated iron, blue tarpaulin, basically anything that will block light. Remove these about six weeks later and then dig the area over. • If you prefer to spray weeds then do this on a calm, windless day and wait at least 10 days before digging and fertilising the soil. Written by Shane O’Leary Horticulture Lecturer Whakatane campus PAGE 8 | Timberlands scholarship provides “icing on the cake” for father of three Jody Tonga laughs now at his previous assumptions that you need to be young or heading off to university to get certain scholarships. While he’s certainly not Waiariki’s oldest student, the 37-year-old has worked out that he’s the second oldest in his forestry management courses, so the news that he won a full scholarship came as a very welcome surprise. “That was probably one of the best phone calls ever, especially at my age. I didn’t count on getting this one, I wasn’t 100 per cent confident. It was my impression they give them to those going to varsity.” It’s not Jody’s first scholarship but now the husband and father of three can relax about his finances a little, knowing his tuition fees are fully paid for the two-year Diploma in Forest Management thanks to the Kaingaroa Timberlands’ Kaitiaki O Te Ngahere Scholarship. He says now his only costs are his books and commuting daily from Taupo to Rotorua, the latter which he does with a classmate, allowing them both to save on petrol and review their lecture notes during their travels. “Student loans, that was the boat that I was going to end up in,” he says. But Having just taken up the position of director of research at Waiariki, this is probably a good opportunity to briefly introduce myself. I grew up in Rotorua and am a former Head Boy of Rotorua Boys’ High School. I did my tertiary training at Otago University, graduating with a PhD in neuroscience. I have spent the past 12 years at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University in Canberra. During this time I was head of a research laboratory investigating the biological basis of learning and memory in the brain. So, as you can imagine, my current role at Waiariki is quite a change for me, but Jody is not only determined to upskill, “to experience the other side of forestry”, he was also dead-set on preventing student debt. So, he took a proactive stance and searched the internet for scholarships for which he qualified. Jody, who is Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Maniapoto, Te Arawa and hails from Te Aute College, Hawke’s Bay, has been working in the forestry sector for 17 years. He’s covered the practical side, he says, and wants a new challenge: to get into forestry management, broaden his knowledge, and “maybe to one day manage the resources that were handed down by our tipuna.” If a job doesn’t come up after he finishes his diploma, he says he’ll continue his studies toward a degree. “Getting the education is icing on the cake in terms of where I want to go. Where I’m heading is the next level, it’s about climbing the ladder.” David Balfour, director of Timberlands Ltd., says, “In selecting for the scholarship we are looking for people who have the aptitude to complete the course and have the potential to become a forest manager. Academic record is important but also maturity of character plays a key part in selection. Research Waiariki By Clarke Raymond, PhD Dr Clarke Raymond is Waiariki’s newly appointed director of research. an extremely exciting one. It is fantastic to be back in my hometown and to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of Waiariki into a world-class vocational training and research institute. To that end, I invite anyone with an interest in research to come and chat with me. Whether you’re a fresh-faced beginner or a battle-scarred, experienced campaigner, the research office can help advance your research activities. The plan for these updates is to keep everyone informed about research at Waiariki. We will be profiling various projects, highlighting new opportunities and celebrating successes. So to begin, here is a quick summary of research activities that have passed through the research office in the last several weeks since I started. • Dr Lynne Chepulis and Evelyn Francis from the School of Nursing and Health Studies have investigated how rapidly blood-sugar levels rise (glycaemic index) when we eat manuka honey in comparison with normal sugar. They have discovered that manuka honey displays a low-moderate glycaemic index despite being more than 80 per cent sugar. This research leads to future work developing safe products of benefit to people requiring a low sugar diet (e.g., diabetics). • Allan Fowler from the School of Computing, Technology and Communications is analysing what and how much learning takes place by participants in the Global Game Jam (GGJ), an annual computer Forestry student Jody Tonga’s attempt to find scholarships has paid off. Critical is that they are from the central North Island area and good iwi connections are a bonus.” No doubt Jody has the aptitude and potential to reach his goals, but it also looks like his experience and age were on his side too. game development event that occurs simultaneously in more than 200 sites around the world. The results of this research could provide a rationale for using the GGJ as a legitimate learning experience for students of game development. • The research office and the social sciences department are in the early stages of developing a research project on employment issues in Rotorua, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, Rotorua District Council, and Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. • Several of our colleagues have or will be representing Waiariki and Aotearoa, presenting the results of their research at conferences on the international stage: o Allan Fowler – 30th Conference on Computer-Human Interfacing, May 5-10, Austin, Texas, USA o Hinemaua Rikirangi – 7th Research into Organisation and Sustainable Development Conference, May 21- 25, Nantes, France o Malin Quintern and Erina Ata – 7th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, June 24-27, Barcelona, Spain o Paula Cown and Joanne Hayes – 13th Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association Annual Conference, July 20-22, Singapore We congratulate them all on their fantastic research achievements and hope they return full of inspiration and motivation for future research endeavours. Waiariki Today www.waiariki.ac.nz
Sustain Waiariki By Steve Chadwick Steve Chadwick, former MP for Rotorua who also held the position of Minister of Conservation, is a member of the advisory committee for the Waiariki Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sustainability. She introduces the Sustain Waiariki group, its purpose and aims. When I was approached to write about the Waiariki Centre of Excellence in Environmental Sustainability, I had to remind myself what our advisory committee is all about and what we want to achieve on the campus. The centre’s name doesn’t speak to me as to what we are about and wordy approaches will wash over most students’ and tutors’ heads unless we make this centre result in a change of thinking and generate an excitement about how we live our daily lives at home and at work. Too often we get bogged down in academic challenges about the lofty issues such as climate change, the availability of oil to generate transport and produce food, and water as a precious resource, and we forget that there are small changes we can commit to as individuals that will make a difference. So we called ourselves Sustain Waiariki and the website will keep those interested informed. I am excited about the skills of those on this new advisory committee as we represent community and regional thinking and have the potential to make Waiariki be seen as a sustainable institution leading the sector with new ways of teaching, challenging economic thinking and living the sustainable dream. Advisory committee members will all contribute to this column over the next year. So what is sustainability? We have had a few good discussions since we started last November. We If he was eligible to compete in New Zealand MasterChef, one of his favourite competitions, Nathan Arnell might have given it a go. However, because he has a formal tertiary education, this Waiariki graduate of two culinary qualifications is not allowed to compete. Instead, he must settle for working alongside a MasterChef contestant, the much-loved Cameron Petley from the 2011 TV series. For Nathan, this is anything but “settling”. “It’s really great,” Nathan says. “He’s a real friendly guy, has a good sense of humour. I’m learning heaps from him.” Nathan, who’s from Tokoroa, says a phone call from Tracy Thompson in Putaruru led to this unexpected and possibly rare opportunity. Tracy and her husband Steve lease the Putaruru Hotel. The Thompsons’ plan was to get the restaurant back in service after several years of inaction. They successfully wooed Mr Petley into the head chef position but then needed to find a sous chef. What followed was the classic friend-of-a-friend scenario where someone heard about Nathan have stuck with the definition that “Sustainability is the practice of living in a manner which does not compromise future generations.” We want Waiariki to be there in the long term as education is vital, especially in a recession, especially in the regions. Why should we have to leave our home to continue lifelong learning? That’s the easy bit really and we then had to find where this long-term thinking fits into the long-term strategic direction for Waiariki. Sustainability is well and truly stated in four of Waiariki’s goals in the strategic plan and that shows a commitment from leadership at the board and academic levels. So what are we pushing to have happen? We want to make sure that all courses consider sustainability in a way that is relevant to their subject and then help both tutors and students start to understand what this commitment really means and how it can be measured and shown. That is called setting a sustainability index. I see a campus that tells a visual story of conserving energy and resources, buildings that feel great to work in, and a curriculum that attracts students in how they want to live a meaningful life that adds value to our environment and economy. I want students to be able to come and learn those subjects that give them actual skills to live their dream; skills such as conservation, horticulture, forestry management, food technology, healthy living, tourism that protects and from Waiariki chef lecturer and former restaurateur Peter Skelton. “The Skeltons [Peter and wife Lorna] said that he stood out in the course,” explains Ms Thompson, “and if they had to pick someone from the course that they thought would do well, that he would be their first pick.” He’s only 21, but Nathan already had four years of professional cooking under his belt, having worked in the Skeltons’ restaurant while studying full time at Waiariki. Nathan recalls the day Ms Thompson rang. “She invited me over to the hotel for an interview. Then I found out Cameron was going to be the head chef here. I was thinking what a great opportunity. I used to watch that show every week.” Working each dinner shift at The Master’s Table, Nathan is learning new techniques and appreciates Mr Petley’s style of cooking and how he uses honest, readily available ingredients. He says they also get to “play around” in the kitchen, creating new dishes for the menu. Ms Thompson is very pleased with her sous chef ’s work. Steve Chadwick hopes Waiariki will be viewed as a leader in sustainability training in our region. values the environment, and the reo to express themselves as Kiwis who know our strengths. When we know what we want then other plans for expenditure on campus will fall into place. Fewer cars and more buses and cycle ways, walking paths that are well lit for safety, waste management that produces energy and reuses resources, and buildings that are a beacon of design to conserve energy and are built in wood. This is very exciting stuff. Think of how you can make a difference and challenge your tutors if you come up with a bright idea. You may even see me cycling to Waiariki if only I felt safe enough to ride to meetings from home. We will live the dream and then inspire others to build a healthy community. Visit our website sustain.waiariki.ac.nz. MasterChef fan working The Master’s Table “Nate’s brilliant, he’s just great. He’s very easy to get along with, he works hard, he’s great at what he does. When Cameron’s away with promotional work now and then, Nate just steps right into his position.” Recently Nathan accompanied Mr Petley to Auckland for a week to help him with his new cookbook. The pair had to prepare 60 recipes and carefully plate them for the camera crew. “When I got back from doing Cameron’s cookbook, I was thinking that I never thought I’d have the chance to do that. How many people get an opportunity to do something like that?” Mr Skelton is confident Nathan will have a successful career as a chef. “He was a very good student and very good in the kitchen. He picks up things really quickly, you rarely have to show him something more than once. His dexterity with what he’s doing is what makes me think he’s going to go far. He’s got a real passion for food, which is good as well.” New scholarship promotes creativity Participants of the popular Rotorua Wearable Creationz will have a chance to win one year of fees-free study toward a creative qualification at Waiariki. Travel, accommodation, cruises and cash are among the typical stable of prizes for winners of Wearable Creationz, with the Supreme Award having been valued at more than $20,000. As a sponsor of the event’s Youth section for the past several years, Waiariki aims to promote the creativity of the community’s youth and invest in their confidence and self-esteem. The new Waiariki scholarship, provided by the School of Computing, Technology and Communications, will be awarded to the winner of the Culture category. It can be used to cover the fees of one year of full-time study in 2013 of a certificate, diploma or advanced diploma in art, fashion or interior design. Providing the scholarship, valued at up to $5,000, is just another way for Waiariki to continue to support the event. Many of Waiariki’s creative qualifications provide direct pathways to continued study at prestigious institutes such as Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design in Auckland, Whitehouse Institute of Design in Australia, and Istituto di Moda Burgo in Milan. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster for Rotorua’s most colourful, fanciful annual event with shows on August 16, 17 and 18. Waiariki graduate Nathan Arnell enjoys working in the kitchen at The Master’s Table at the Putaruru Hotel. 0800 924 274 Waiariki Today | PAGE 9
Page 1 and 2: WAIARIKI TODAY fROm WAIARIKI TO lOn
Page 3 and 4: London calling for Waiariki Olympia
Page 5 and 6: Charity House partnership for a bet
Page 7: The pressure cooker to national suc
Page 11 and 12: Waiariki provides doctors to Rotoru
Page 13 and 14: New technology for journalism stude
Page 15 and 16: Waiariki Academy of Sport Flying th

Issue 17 • June 2012 - Waiariki Institute of Technology

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