Help plant native trees this Queen's Birthday weekend

Aucklanders are invited to pick up their spades and help plant native trees in three regional parks this coming weekend.

Queen's Birthday Weekend is the busiest weekend on the Auckland Regional Council's tree planting calendar with events at Muriwai, Tawharanui and Whakanewha (Waiheke Island) regional parks.

New trees are planted to protect park life including, native plants, birds, fish and insects and their support systems and food supplies. Planting helps maintain and enhance biodiversity.

Planting also nurses damaged ecosystems back to health and speeds up natural regeneration. It can provide models * parks are a giant version of what your backyard could be like * that are green, lush and alive. Planting also helps to reduce flooding and erosion, and improve water quality in our rivers and beaches making them safer for swimming.

Details of this weekend's three planting days are as follows.

Muriwai Regional Park Sunday 6 June, 10am onwards

Tree planting at Muriwai Regional Park in association with Project Crimson will extend existing plantings and create a shelter belt of pohutukawa along the coast road, returning vegetation to what once was there and help create a habitat for more species of native birds.

Meet at Coast Rd, beside the tennis courts (Follow State Highway 16 to Waimauku Turn left into Muriwai Rd at Waimauku and continue to the park)

Tawharanui Regional Park Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 June, 9.30am onwards

There are 10,000 trees to be planted at Tawharanui over the two days. This weekend planting is organized by the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society Inc. (TOSSI), which is working in partnership with the ARC to turn Tawharanui into a pest free haven for native species. Planting this weekend will help with forest restoration on the park.

Meet at the woolshed on the park. (To get to Tawharanui follow the signs from Warkworth. The last 8km is a winding, metal road.)

Free use of the campground is available for volunteers who want to try winter camping.

Whakanewha Regional Park (Waiheke Island) Sunday 6 and Monday the 7 June, 10am onwards

Tree planting at Whakanewha Regional Park will provide shade and shelter for park users. It will also extend and enhance the coastal forest remnants through replanting, now that weeds are under control.

Meet at the park depot (Take the ferry from downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island. Catch a shuttle bus from Matiatia to the Park or catch the Rocky Bay bus and get off at Gordons Rd and walk down to the park.)

Free use of the campground is available for volunteers who want to try winter camping.

What to bring Work boots or enclosed shoes (not sandals), a spade (if you have one), gloves, a jacket, snacks and water bottle (it's thirsty work). We provide a sausage sizzle for lunch at each of the planting days.

For more information please call Scott De Silva, ARC Senior Ranger (Muriwai planting day) 817 0084 or 025 943 624 Wendy Fisher, ARC Park Ranger (Tawharanui planting day) 09 426 1200 or 0274 951 445 Andy Spence, ARC Park Ranger (Whakanewha planting day) 372 5647 or 0274 519 951

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