TRIP REPORT : Te Marua Bush – Work Party

 21 June 2003 :   Te Marua Bush – Work Party

Recent plantings at the south end of Te Marua Bush. Photo: Allan Sheppard.

Totara trimmed by Transit NZ at the northeast corner of Te Marua Bush. Photo: Allan Sheppard. .

This was a combined effort with Upper Hutt Branch, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Fourteen willing workers planted fifty trees to fill in gaps in last year’s planting area, to replace losses in the windbreak on the western edge caused by drought and strong winds.   Some canopy species were planted among the existing plantings.   Earlier plantings are now giving good protection to the matai, maire and totara planted among them.   The revegetated area looks attractively bushy and green from SH2.

Small patches of weeds were removed from the mature forest.   Since Darryl Kee applied his weed control skills, the forest floor has been transformed.   It is almost free of the infestations of invasive weeds that had defied attempts at control by hand weeding.   Regeneration of native seedlings has been good, despite the dry conditions.

Since the workbee, the fence on the SH2 frontage has been removed while the road is widened.   This makes the small remnant vulnerable to damage – we look forward to the completion of the road works, and the rebuilding of the fence.   No doubt we will have to do some planting in this area next season, to repair the bulldozer damage!

Participants: Gareth Cooper, Helen Druce, Dave Holey, Chris Horne, Sheelagh Leary, Rodney Lewington, Janet McCallum, Cath Mathews, Sue Millar, Barbara Mitcalfe, Mick Parsons, Alan Sheppard, Glennis Sheppard, Darea Sherratt.

Sue Millar