Apirana Reserve Newsletter

 

From: ken samson <kensamson@hotmail.com>
Date: 9 September 2022 at 13:52:14 NZST
Subject: Apirana Reserve newsletter



Hi everyone in the remotest way associated with our wonderful little green space in Glen Innes, with this to keep you up to date with what has been happening at the reserve over the past month or so.   Sorry that it's not a flashy 12 colour glossy but then again that's not our style.

 

Our planting late July was a huge success thanks to all those who so willingly turned out, and despite the place at one stage looking like a duck pond because of the massive amount of rain we had, we have had few deaths and the plants are now relishing the sunshine and will forge ahead as summer approaches.       The previous 2 planted areas are reaching for the sky and we are already getting canopy cover.

 

Subsequent to the planting, our friends at KiwiRail, most notably with the help of the wonderful Tammy Dickinson and Craig Barnes and his team, have totally cleared the next stage of the project up to the rail tunnel entrance.  An extremely generous act from KiwiRail and an absolute godsend for the 3 geriatrics, and it has enabled us to seriously plan for the next planting.   We are now thankfully able to access the banks of the stream to clear the mass of nasties that we couldn't access before.  We have already taken out a swathe of gorse, moth, woolly, and masses of blue morning glory, and although there is still a huge amount of ground prep to do it is now seen as manageable.  The work done was a massive lift to our spirits.

 

The Omaru stream that bisects the reserve has some pretty big problems, it has been a dumping ground for years, and we have it on our radar.    Roger continues to monitor it on a very regular basis and all technical and scientific info is fed back to WaiCare for their records.   Dani Newton and her team at WaiCare have removed some of the big willows that were blocking the stream, but there is still much to be done to make the stream flow as it should and to encourage its life.    With the generous help of Steve Jardine,  Auckland Council's sustainability response manager,  we have recently cleared masses of historical, and not so historical, rubbish.   Rubbish begets rubbish and we are conscious of maintaining an example at the reserve, something we feel is starting to work.

 

Must make mention of our growing tight knit and collaborative association with Gary and Peter and all the members of St. John's Rotary.    An amazing bunch of people who have been so supportive and willing to help with whatever we ask of them.   Sarah Peters, our long suffering park ranger at Auckland Council has been marvellous.   We're most concerned at times about her nervous health as we are continually needling her to do so many more things at the reserve, and we are seemingly constantly over-spending her budget.   Her work to arrange CVNZ volunteers on a regular basis has been great and recently 10 vollies spent the day working at the reserve.

 

Lastly to all our friends who come out in the weekends, who are so forthcoming with their vast ecological knowledge, and who willingly weed, and weed, and then do more weeding, just for the promise of our wonderful and amazing company and a cup of coffee.    Dependant on the weather the 3 of us go out most weekends, and we send out a generic email beforehand advising that we would love some help.    There is absolutely no pressure, but if any of you would care to join us on occasions for a couple of hours on a saturday or sunday morning we would happily add your email address to the list.

 

I am bound to have left people off the list so please share this email.  Please click on "Read More" to see more "Before & After photo's".

 

Nga mihi nui

 

Nanda, Roger and Ken