Family Plant a Native Tree Day

Media Release

19 April 2016

The Western Bay Wildlife Trust is inviting families to come and plant a native tree on Moturiki Island, (commonly known as Leisure Island at Mount Maunganui), on Sunday 1 May 2016 from 2.00 -4.00pm.

There are over 250 native trees to choose from, including kawakawa, karo, and pohutakawa, as well as the native ice plant and coastal ferns. All the trees and plants have been chosen specifically for the environment and were purchased by the Western Bay Wildlife Trust thanks to sponsorship and donations from the public and the Paper4Trees programme.

The objective of the day is for families to create their own family legacy moment, planting a tree together and sharing in establishing revegetation on Moturiki. There is no cost to families.

Moturiki Island is home to 200 little blue penguins and over 40 nesting red-billed gulls. There is also a colony of diving petrels trying to re-establish itself on the island, and the peperomia, a rare New Zealand native plant grows there. Challenges faced by the native bird colonies include controlling pests, and the rubbish left behind by humans. The wildlife trust runs regularly rubbish cleaning days through the year.

The day begins at 10.00am with an all-day sausage sizzle, a sand sculpture competition on the beach at 1.00pm, followed by the tree planting and working bee on Moturiki Island from 2.00 -4.00pm. Families are encouraged to bring their own spades and suitable footwear.

The Western Bay Wildlife Trust is also relaunching its new name and website www.westernbaywildlife.nz as part of the tree planting day event. It was previously the Mauao Area Wildlife Trust.

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