Brookfield Outdoor Education Centre is a 255 ha property (slightly bigger than Zealandia) at the upper end of Moores Valley Road owned by Scouts NZ. The initial 50 acres was bequeathed by Mary Crowther on her death in 1958. She had inherited the property, being a farm and orchard, from her parents, her father having established the farm from the bush. The Scouts subsequently purchased another title of 580 acres creating the larger property. Over the years various generations of Scout volunteers have added different facilities to the property to the extent that today accommodation is available for 130 people in different facilities and 800 people can camp. While in Scout ownership conservation has always been practised at Brookfield, a more thorough approach is underway given the property borders the GWRC ‘mainland island’ within it’s water catchment. The project aims to involve young people in Predator Free initiatives such as Scout Troops constructing rat boxes. Three sectors of traps totaling about 20 ha of regenerating native bush targeting possums, stoats, weasels and rats are already in place and Stage 2 of the project covering an area of approximately 55 ha. is underway. Volunteers welcomed.
