1 October 2008

MEDIA STATEMENT
Temuka Demo site plantings underway, planting day October 7

The planting of over 5000 native plants at a Temuka demonstration site should be completed within the next few weeks - depending on the number of volunteers who come forward to help.

There have been a number of planting events with a community planting held on Saturday 13 September. On Wednesday September 24, students from Timaru Christian School came out to the site to help plant 500 natives into the wetland area. This activity is part of the community service which classes of the school are encouraged to participate in a couple of times each year.

The site, alongside the Taumatakahu Stream, is on the outskirts of the Temuka town-ship. The wetland and riparian planting project extents over 2 properties that received Environment Enhancement Funding for their project and is supported by Timaru District Council, ECan and the Taumatakahu Stream Care Group. The project will result in the fencing and native planting of one of the Taumatakahu springs, a length of waterway and a wetland.

The Taumatakahu stream care group has been established to enhance the Taumatakahu Stream and for the last few years planting projects have occurred within the township in associations with the Taumatakahu Reserve Area.

“We have been keen to get people involved in understanding the management and enhancement of waterways in rural areas as it is quite different to an urban setting” says Judith Earl-Goulet, Ecan senior resource care co-ordinator.

The demonstration site is being established to try out some different ideas for riparian plantings, including different forms of mulching and protecting the plants as they get established. It also allows for an opportunity to discuss the other issues that come up when managing waterways such as in-stream weed control and alternative stock water supply.

However the first step is to get all the plants in the grounds, and it is proving a massive job.

“Having the community event followed by the students from Timaru Christian School as well as a working bee this week has meant we are making progress. We’ve got another planting event planned for the afternoon of October 7, when some Aoraki Polytechnic students will be getting involved. It would be great to have some people from the Temuka town-ship and the stream care group in attendance to help get their project established.”

Planting will begin at 1 pm on October 7 at the McNair Road site and will be sign posted from Richard Pearse Drive. Bring a spade, sensible footwear and a sun hat. If you would like more information then contact Judith Earl-Goulet.

“If there are any other groups who are keen to take part, we’d love to hear from them and are happy to set up alternative times, which may suit them better,” she says.

ENDS

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