Thursday 14th April 2022
Page 10
GREENDOT PLANTOUT TOUR Growing interest in restoring native vegetation across the Selwyn District increases. Beautiful autumn sunshine proved the perfect weather for Te Ara Kākāriki’s Greendot Plantout Tour held last Sunday. Attendance was well up on recent years, with interested neighbours and locals coming along. The morning tour featured two planting sites in the Tai Tapu area, including the large legacy site Te Pae O Ahuriri as well as a nearby private property where plantings have gone in over a longer period. Afternoon tour participants were able to explore the other large legacy site Ōkakaraiti located just off the Springfield Highway where 30,000 native seedlings will go in over a three-year period, as well as a neighbouring property with more established areas.
Phone 027 319 9929
20kg bags or 500kg bulk bags available!
Ecologist Di Robertson and Co Chair Peter Joyce speak with Plantout Tour Guests at Ōkakaraiti. Ecologist Colin Meurk explained his research that began Te Ara Kākāriki’s vision of creating a corridor of Greendots (planted areas) across the Canterbury Plains, giving birdlife and other biodiversity a pathway to travel from the mountains to the sea. Eco-sourced plants for each Greendot are carefully chosen in order to recreate as closely as possible what once grew there before, extrapolating from any nearby areas of remanent forest such as Lord’s Bush in the Springfield area. Each site has its own challenges as well, with a unique feature of Ōkakaraiti being an old glacial moraine and some very stony ground. The neighbouring railway also led to less flammable native species being preferred in case of any sparks, and of course, wind and snow
tolerance is key too. While the chosen plants are then carefully planted in designated areas initially, Colin Meurk explained that nature doing its thing was a very important part of the restoration process. In time and often via birds, nature will send the seeds out to establish in the right place, at the right time. With the final site of the day being planted over a ten-year period, there were visible examples of this where lowland ribbonwood, broadleaf and mikimiki had generated from seed amongst the initial plantings. Any landowners interested in creating a Greendot on their land with support from Te Ara Kākāriki in 2023 are encouraged to apply for assistance via www.kakariki.org.nz
FOREST MULCH BARK MULCH BLACK FOREST MULCH BARK NUGGETS (10/20MM) UNSCREENED BARK SCREENED SOIL WAIPAPA LIME CHIP SCHIST STEPPING STONES PUNGA LOGS PREMIUM ORGANIC COMPOST MACROCARPA SLEEPERS RAILWAY SLEEPERS (PINE - 2.1M LENGTHS) LANDSCAPE BOULDERS PAPAROA RED ROCK (3 GRADES: 4MM, 12.25MM & 25MM PLUS) Pick up or delivery available (charges apply) WINZ Quotes Eftpos available
Kindling & Dry, shed stored, native wood! (Pick up or delivery - charges apply) FREE DELIVERY TO DARFIELD TOWNSHIP WHEN 3 CUBE OR MORE IS ORDERED!
PHONE: 03 975 4502 Address: 417 Creyke Road, Darfield HOURS: Monday to Friday 6am - 6pm, Saturday 8am - 1pm, or after hours by appointment.
