13 May 2015

Arbor Day weeds-for-natives offer from regional council

As part of activities around Arbor Day in early June, Waikato Regional Council is offering Coromandel residents an opportunity to swap weeds for native plants.

Arbor Day is when people in many countries are encouraged to plant and care for trees.

So the regional council - with support from Thames-Coromandel District Council, the Department of Conservation and Waikato Weedbusters – is holding a weed swap to raise pest plant awareness on Saturday 6 June.

“Members of the public can bring in a rubbish sack of pest plants to exchange for a native plant,” said Whitianga-based biosecurity officer Benson Lockhart.

“We are interested in wild ginger, woolly nightshade, giant rhubarb and moth plant. If you have a weed that you are unsure about, feel free to bring it in for identification and some advice on how to control it.”

Council staff will be available to do weed-for-natives swaps at Tairua’s Pepe Reserve from 9am-11am and at Whitianga’s Taylors Mistake Reserve from 2pm-4pm.

“There will be a limited amount of native plants available so it will pay to get in early,” said Benson.

For a full list of the pest plants on our regional pest management plan visit the council website.

ends

© Scoop Media