There has been a steady uptake of volunteers getting involved in environmental projects and activities across the Devonport-Takapuna local board area over the past 12 months - from planting and beach clean up days, to various plant and animal pest control initiatives.
Numerous coastal clean-up days have taken place, with one involving over 1500 volunteers from a dozen peninsula area schools to clean up beaches across the peninsula.
Hundreds of other volunteers have also stepped up on other separate days to clean up at Lake Pupuke, Takapuna Beach, Milford Beach and Patuone Reserve in Takapuna.
In addition to beach and reserve clean-ups, volunteers from various community groups, clubs and schools have helped to plant almost 3800 native plants in nine reserves across the local board area – from Lyford Bush in Sunnynook, to Mt Cambria Reserve in Devonport.
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board has supported these cleanup and planting initiatives with funding, the provision of native plants, clean up equipment, rubbish removal and providing hard-earned BBQ lunches for teams working on the ground.
The local board also continues to support and fund a number of pest plant and animal eradication projects, including the rat control project led by Forest and Bird around the coast of Ngataringa and Shoal Bay, and the Waitemata Golf Club Rat Control Project.
Listed below are some of the various activities, groups, clubs and schools proudly working to improve the area's environment and ecology:
Coastal clean-ups:
- Devonport peninsula – 1500 people from 12 schools clean up multiple beaches across the peninsula area on 29 March 2019.
- Lake Pupuke – Green Party members cleaned around the lake on 2 February 2019.
- Patuone Reserve – Barry Point Road Business’s corporate clean-up day provided 50 volunteers on 30 January 2019.
- Takapuna Beach – Rosmini College sent 40 students to clean up beach on 7 December 2019.
- Takapuna Beach – corporate clean-up day by Salesforce provided 30 volunteers on the 18 October 2018.
- Takapuna Beach, Milford Beach, Silvan Park, Auburn and Patuone Reserve, Henderson Park and Lake Pupuke – 90 volunteers clean beach and reserves on 14 September 2018.
- Milford Beach – Couples For Christ group of 50 cleaned up the beach on 29 September 2018.
Planting days:
- Braemar Reserve, Castor Bay – Westlake Boys High School students undertook site preparation and plant 250 plants into wetland in July 2018.
- Lyford Bush, Sunnynook – Sunnynook School and the Lyford Bush community group planted 1400 plants on 15 June and 26 June 2019.
- O’Neil’s Cemetery in Bayswater and Philomel Reserve in Devonport – Bayswater School students planted 470 plants on 12 June 2019.
- Mt Cambria Reserve, Devonport - Friends of Mt Cambria Reserve volunteer group planted 120 plants plants on 21 May 2019.
- Ngatiranga Park Maze – Friends of Maze group planted 200 plants in June 2019.
- Bryan Burns Reserve, Milford – Milford Cubs planted 250 plants in July 2018 and Auckland Council customer service staff planted a further 250 plants in October 2018.
- Kawerau Reserve, Devonport – Takapuna Grammar students planted 700 plants on separate days in June 2018 and June 2019.
- Achilles Reserve, Belmont – Belmont Intermediate students planted 320 plants on three separate days starting in May 2019.
- Greville Reserve, Forrest Hill – Centennial Park Bush Society planted 160 plants on 29 May 2019.
