Looking at Sexton Pines as a restoration area

This area next to the Rototuna Primary School (see map) is in a transition stage with a number of entities still partly involved with interests. We have an interest in it because of its proximity to our existing boundary, the fact that it has three bat homes that we have installed (no bats yet I don’t believe), and a breeding colony of white faced herons that have been there for a number of years. On going tree felling by the housing subdivision developers and council is a concern. Recently the council arranged for an arborist to fell and chip the gums on the school boundary. Our Trust worked with the council, and with support of some DOC funding, planted 1234 native trees into this mulched gully slope. We have been lobbying the council to ensure that the remaining trees stay there. Because the pines are old and high, they give cover from frost while not having deep shade, so are ideal for supporting understory planting of frost tender native plants. We have planted twenty odd pukatea and some tawa both of which are frost vulnerable in their early stage. Other than clearing out woolly nightshade there has been no major weed clearing as yet.