CONSERVATORS’ COURSE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28868, 13 April 1959, Page 9

CONSERVATORS’ COURSE

Meetings Arranged For Lincoln

A four-day refresher course for soil conservators under the auspices of the New Zealand Soil Conservators’ Association and a special training course for soil conservators running from May to August will be held at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, this year. At least 50 members of the staffs of the Soil Conservation Council, the Department of Agriculture and catchment boards will attend the meeting of the Soil Conservators’ Association which will be held from May 12 to 15. Apart from a series of addresses there will be a field day to Broken river and symposia on catchment control, with particular reference to the Waimakariri and Broken river area and on run-off control from catchments, with discussion on the effect that soil conservation measures have had in protecting watersheds and reducing flood peaks. The programme will conclude with the biennial meeting of the association.

The special training course, which is being held at the college for the Soil Conservation Council, will begin on May 11, and the 14 members of the soil conservation staffs of the Department of Agriculture and catchment boards who will be at the course will take part in the Soil Conservators’ Association meeting. The course will include instruction in soil and water conservation engineering, soil conservation, climatology, aerial photography, and mapping, soils, extension methods, machinery, plant and animal ecology, land classification, and farm management. Staff of the Soil Conservation Council, the Forest Service, the Soil Bureau, the Catchment Board, and University of Canterbury will assist. There will also be field trips to Adair in South Canterbury, the Mackenzie, Tara Hills, East Dome, Wither Hills, Moutere Hills, and Makara. There will also be field inspections in the North Canterbury Catchment Board’s area, and of the Glenmark catchment control scheme. A special certificate will be issued by the Soil Conservation Council to those who successfully complete the course.

Visit of Warship.— H.M.A.S. Vendetta, one of three Daring class ships built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy, will visit Auckland from April 18 to May 2 to exercise in the Hauraki Gulf with H.M. Submarine Telemachus, ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy, and aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.