Youth and Age work together across the generations |
Two planting sessions took place this winter. The first, at Home Point below the gun emplacements had to be postponed for a day because of rain. However, the thirteen people who attended (5 Restoration Committee members, 4 Friends, and 4 non-members) worked like Trojans from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm and planted a total of 1,865 young trees, mainly manuka but also pohutukawa and cabbage trees.
At Ocean Beach the following Saturday 20 people, mainly local residents planted 72 three year old pohutukawa by 11.45 am.
Pictured are octogenarian Allan Pike and his teenage grand-daughter Acacia Prince-Pike enjoying the winter sunshine as they plant pohutukawa.
Reforestation of these barren hill sides will create welcoming habitats for birds flying in from the neighbouring Hen and Chicken Islands to boost future Bream Head populations.
Trees for the plantings were organised by DoC and supplied by the Kerikeri Shade House and by Alter-natives in Waipu, grown from Bream Head seed. The planting sites were prepared by spraying the kikuyu grass to stop it smothering the seedlings. Otangarei Trust volunteers helped DoC workers transport the Home Point seedlings to the planting site by tinny and rubber dinghy. DoC also provided welcome and essential morning and afternoon tea!
|
