Planting Progress at Tuki St site
Tuesday, 30 June 2020
We have 4,750 plants in the ground this year after two community planting days. We had a great turn out on the day with just over 40 adults and numerous kids for each of our two June plantings. We paid to have holes dug with a petrol auger, this is money well spent for the quality of the planting and time on site for volunteers. In a morning we easily planted 2400 plants as well as staking and placement of jute mats on the podocarps.
The place is looking spectacular and we had our new resident Miromiro’s (Tomtits) serenading us while we planted and getting pretty close to people, fantastic! A single Toutowai (ronin) bas been heard over the river.
Smoko time on site with a brazier
One of our new residents
Below is a young Totara plant with jute mat, ready for the inevitable invasion of spring weeds. The prison kindly supply bamboo sakes, a good use for this weed.
Young Totara plant with jute mat
Our next planting at Tuki Street is on Saturday, September 12th 2020. I’m excited to mention we have recently been beneficiaries of a Waikato Regional Council end of year budget windfall to the tune of funding for 660 plants and some chemicals to release our plantings.
If any of you, or your colleagues, wish to come along to any of our plantings we would be very pleased to see you. We also have a planting day on the Waiotaka River near the Rongomai Marae on Sunday July 19th 2020, please check our Project Tongariro website for details.
Bryan and I drove through the next weedy mess for restoration last week to open up a new frontier for preparation. The recent funding success from WCEET is brilliant and will ensure that this work will be achievable.
Kind Regards
Shirley Potter
Volunteer Ranger – Te Matapuna Wetlands Project
