Scored 160 natives to plant out!

Hamilton City Council rang this morning to say they had “left over” plants in their nursery and seeing we had damp areas in the areas of the gully we have cleared of honeysuckle would we like a selection of understory plants to plant out. I was going to be over that side of town this morning with my trailer so I arrange to call into the nursery and pick them up. The result is we have approximately (a bit hard to count on the trailer) 160 eco-sourced native plants to plant at tomorrow’s (Wednesday) working bee. Isn’t that great?
This is not just about Council “getting rid” of end of season stock it is acknowledgement by council of the good work our group has done and a means of supporting our effects.
There will be four of us at the working bee tomorrow but with this number of plants to plant out a few extra hands would be good. I know most of you have a job to go to but those that don’t and have a free morning it would be good to see you.
We meet at the St James side of the walk bridge at 8.45am (or when you can make it). Bring a spade (smaller the better) and a garden trowel. Some plants are quite small, and a drink & morning tea for yourself.

Plant varieties and numbers:

Melicytus micranthus x 42
Coprosma grandifolia Rauekau x 25
Coprosma tenuicalis Swamp Coprosma x 2
Coprosma propinqua Mingimingi x 30
Geniostoma rupestre Hangehange x 23
Kunzea ericoides Kanuka x 7
Coprosma rhamnoides Red fruited Karamu x 15
Beilschmiedia tawa Tawa x 5
Alectryon execelsus Titoki x 10
Aristotelia serrata Wine Berry Makomako x 1

Donate a tree

We now have a cheque book account opened. For those that cannot participate because of their busy life style but wish to support our cause there is an opportunity to donate a tree/s to plant into the swamp areas. Wayne Bennett of Forest Flora Nursery has some large eco sourced specimens of Kahikita, Pukatea and Swamp Maire that can be safely planted at this time of the year.
If you wish to donate:
Using internet banking transfer $15 per tree for a Swamp Maire to account 12-3171-0184290-00 add a code SM or $10 per tree for a Kahikatea or a Puketea add a code KAPU. (or $25 SMKAPU for one of each)
If you only use the old system write out a cheque to “Mangaiti Gully Restoration Group” and post it C/- R. Bushell, 7 Carisbrook Place, Rototuna North, Hamilton 3210.

Saturdays working bee

Time: 8.45am to 12noon
Place: The foot bridge
Bring: Morning tea, Gum boots (it’s dried out a lot but still has wet patches), Pruners. Sun screen and hats are optional as we will be working in the shade.

Wednesday Working Bee

We worked off site for the first time this Wednesday cutting bamboo for staking tree. We gathered, trimmed and cut to length over 200 plus a lot of “shorts” not shown in the photo.

Regeneration at Mangatautari

After four years of the total eradication of deer, pigs, goats and possums the regeneration of the forest floor is amassing. This photo essay was taken on the south side of the mountain last Monday.

Field Day reminder for this Saturday

A reminder about the field day at Peter Morris’s Matangi gully property this Saturday 13th November starting at 1.30pm. His address is 67D Fuchsia Lane which is right off Matangi Road heading south from Morrinsville Road (almost to Matangi Village). If it is wet it will be postponed to the following Saturday. Check our blog if in doubt.Peter started clearing the gorse and planting natives in his 6 acre gully 30 years ago. You get a great view from his neighbours of the classical gully slope to swamp floor planting which you normally only see diagrammatically. Peter also runs a small native plant nursery so there will be an opportunity to see various stages of seed raising of a number of our native species. BRING GUMBOOTS!

Image from http://gullyguide.co.nz/files/Gully_Guide_Mar07.pdf

Weekend Working Bee coming up

The November weekend working bee is on Saturday 20th. Working bees are a very important part of the overall restoration project. We assemble at the foot bridge at 8.45am and work through to 12 noon stopping for morning tea. At the moment we are clearing the honey suckle vine off the native plants. This is relatively easy work. The vines do not have any thorns and we are cutting the vine leaving it to die in the trees and pulling up the roots to prevent them re-growing. Bring along your morning tea, pruning shears and if you have them loppers (big pruning shears) and a grubber.
The photo is of a new sign put up this week supplied by Hamilton City Council.