Planting season almost complete

Welcome to spring!

Already it feels decidedly warmer and there's the smell of new growth in the air.

We've had many plantings in the park over the last couple of weeks, and all have gone smoothly. We're very fortunate to have had no illness or show-stopping storms.

Penny, Andrew and I did get a tad wet on Aratihi, but nothing quite like the previous visit with Claire. Most importantly, we finished off that area and made such an encouraging start on that end of Missing Link, that we got an extra two dozen seedlings (thanks to Forest & Bird) to infill the northeast half of Missing Link (done this evening, thanks to help from Caroline).

Last Thursday Sarah and I finished off the Trickle Falls planting, moving further up the valley than ever before, with shade-tolerant miro, pukatea, porokaiwhiri and kohekohe.

Earlier that day, an enthusiastic group from WSP helped plant along upper Pohatu, Peak Flow and lower North Face. Planting over such a large area was a bit of a logistical challenge, but the group were certainly up for it.

On Saturday our standard work party did another hike-n-plant session, this time on Sally Alley, Three Brothers, Smokin and Rimu. Three families turned up and we had just enough people to deal with five trays (containing a wide variety of seedlings, each needing its own special niche).

Then on Monday, Peter brought a keen bunch of his workmates to the park to plant in the lower Koru area. That was to help get pukatea, nikau, and matai re-established there.

Just three planting parties left this season, and they are all going to be excellent!

- 10am Sat the 3rd Sept - meet at the end of South Karori Rd, then walk into Bail Out to finish off the big planting mission at the new enclosures. This one involves a pretty decent walk in, and about a hundred seedlings in rocky ground, so we're hoping for a really good turnout.

- 10am Sat the 10th Sept - meet at the top of Makara Hill Rd for planting up the new section of the T4 climb (which has yet to be opened to the public). This is a corner of the park you've probably never seen. It's well worth checking out.

- 10am Sunday the 18th Sept - that's right, Sunday. That's so Ranger Mark can make it along and join in on our end-of-season feast. He's been sooooo helpful ferrying tools and seedlings around the park for us this winter. We aim to do some releasing at the Kohanga (planting 30 seedlings in any gaps we find along the way) and celebrate with some really nice kai at the end.

Hope to see some of you soon. If not, thanks again for helping restore Makara Peak to her former glory this winter.

Simon Kennett

Planting Lead