In the area around Le Roy’s Bush in Northcote, a ten-minute drive from the city centre, one local community group has been doing the hard graft to clear and restore an inner-city native forest at the bottom of their gardens.
Beyond the Fence aims to restore native flora to the area and this community group have spent years weeding native bush bordering their backyards.
“It felt quite futile,” says founder Linda Tisch of the group’s humble beginnings – there just weren’t enough people attending the working bees to do the work.
Her solution?
To ask her neighbours round to a barbecue where they would do some weeding.
“The whole idea was to get people out from behind their fence,” she explains.
And so the movement began.
They now have a regular group of volunteers come to the group’s regular working bees and local residents are encouraged to join these working bees every Wednesday morning.
Beyond the Fence received $10,000 in funding through the Regional Environment Natural Heritage (RENH) grant last year to continue their work.
“We’re so grateful for the funding we get from Auckland Council, it’s been really useful for us.”
The funding has allowed the group to employ contractors who can access areas where their volunteers can’t.
Beyond the Fence is assisted in its work through Kaipātiki Local Board’s Small Improvements Projects.
