Pop-up forest kicks off Parks Week

Wellingtonians are in for a surprise on their daily commute – Wellington City Council is bringing the bush to the city for a day to launch Parks Week 2015 (7-15 March).

Head on down to Bond Street on Wednesday 4 March to find the pop-up urban forest made up of over 2000 native plants. As part of the Council’s 2 Million Trees project staff will be giving away trees at the pop-up forest in the late afternoon. The giveaway goes towards helping Council achieve its target of planting two million trees in Wellington by 2020.

Wellington Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, says backyard biodiversity contributes to habitat for our native wildlife. “All of the free trees would once have grown in the native forest that covered the hills and valleys of Wellington. Over one hundred community groups, council staff and many organisations in Wellington are working hard to restore native forest and other ecosystems in our reserves.”

There are more than 30 events and activities planned for Parks Week – from garden walks, a family parks challenge, a photography evening with Councillor Simon Woolf at Karori Cemetery to outdoor yoga and fitness classes. There are events for everyone - but get in quick - some events, such as Dogs n Togs at Khandallah pool, are already booked out.

Natural Environment Portfolio Leader, Helene Ritchie, says Wellington’s greatest strength is our quality of life and our close connection to nature. Something Parks Week aims to highlight. “Research has shown that visiting a park can reduce stress, boost immunity, enhance productivity, promote healing and foster psychological wellbeing.”

Environment Committee Chairperson, Iona Pannett, says Parks Week presents an excellent opportunity for Wellingtonians to visit an area they might not regularly go to. “Wellington has hundreds of parks and reserves, all there for us to enjoy – Parks Week is a great opportunity to visit somewhere new and meet some like-minded people. In particular, I think many families will enjoy the Parks Week Challenge this year.”

To check out what’s on during Parks Week, go to wellington.govt.nz/parksweek

Parks Week launch takes place on Wednesday 4 March at Bond Street. Free native plants will be given away between 4-6pm.

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