Hi Peter et al,
Obviously I don't have everyone's email addresses, and nor to be honest can I remember exactly who was there, so my friend if I could leave to you to distribute this email to the Club, and of course to all who gave so willingly of their precious Saturday morning time to plant approximately 500 trees at the stage 3 phase of the Apirana story.
I take full credit for arranging the beautiful sunny morning, but the conditions underfoot were wet, sloshy and extremely muddy, and it was wonderful to see that everyone just got on with the job and there wasn't even the suggestion of a moan or a whinge. In fact all I heard was a lot of laughter and good natured banter. To have 500 plants in the ground in an hour and a half must have surely set some form of Guinness record.
We love the association with you good people and look forward to planning next year's planting in the next couple of weeks. Tammy from KiwiRail was here yesterday during the planting, she was very impressed with the final result, and things are definately in the pipeline for K/R to help us move further up the valley. We do need help however from the Club, and Margaret V. and Dennis Millard should be at the forefront here, to start urgent discussions with the local T/M board and with Council, regarding the area across the stream that we consider ideal for the school projects that SJR are mooting. We and TFS need the blessing and authority from Council before we can go ahead.
Again our heartfelt thanks. Please advise all that they don't have to wait a full year before returning, they are most welcome to visit anytime to encourage the plant growth by pulling the odd weed here and there, so long as they ascertain it is a weed and not one of the zillions of seedlings that are naturally generating. Incidentally Roger is collating photos as we speak and will send a selection when he can.
Cheers
Nanda, Roger and Ken