A busy month for restoration planting in Motueka

August 22nd, 2010
By David Armstrong

Some of the new plantings in Thorps Bush

It's been all hands on deck for groups involved in planting of natives and wetland species in various restoration projects as the spring growth period fast approaches.

Three projects - the Raumanukas restoration, Adopt-a-Plot and Thorps Bush - received unusual extra attention over hte past several weeks, with many thousands of plants ready to place before warmer weather makes it too late.

Last week have seen over 1700 natives planted at the Inlet Walkway Reserve (Adopt-a-Plot area), says project manager for Keep Motueka Beautiful, Bob Cooke. "The Department of Corrections gang, along with assistance from Sicon and Kathy Curnow (TDC Horticulture Adviser), managed to plant all the allocated trees from this years budget.

"Most of the trees affected by rabbits now have sleeves fitted so I hope the little devils find something to eat elsewhere."

Bob has planted some gaps on some of the plots for adopters who were not able to be present during the past week. All the plants supplied by TDC this year were "root trainers" and so they were not able to be left without being planted. Also the ground was nice and damp for digging and planting.

Bob says there is fertiliser in the shed for plot adopters to use and now is the time to apply this tonic for the plants. He adds that KMB is still making new plots of any size so if anyone is interested they can contact Bob for a visit.

At the Raumanukas restoration in the Kumeras area, monthly Monday morning working bees have recently become weekly ones as the rush is on to get the last several hundred plants in place before spring is too advanced. Organiser Beth Bryant wants to achieve at least 100 new plantings a week for another few weeks to use up the stock on hand, and hopes for some strong turnouts for the next few working bees.

In the past few weeks between 200 - 300 native and wetland plants have been planted into some of the semi-cleared patches of Thorp Bush, mainly nearby the path which winds down the southern side of the bush. The photo above shows a sample.

The planting in Thorp Bush is part of the TDC annual planting to encourage the revegetation of the area, and the idea is that by planting low- and medium-height bushes it will provide the setting for totara, titoki, and kahikatea to thrive and continue the overhead structure important for the survival of this remnant native area.

Annual planting aims to retain it as a Native Bush reserve for a long time. The biggest threat is the lowering of the water table, as Thorp Bush is essentially a "wetland-type" forest.

Recent plantings have been achieved with the help of TDC (Kathy Tohill) and the 50-plus walking group (Alan Vincent), and TDC may organise some mulching to help over the summer period.

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