Mountains of rubbish removed, traplines set, pest plants weeded out and natives put in their place, work Ōrākei Local Board says is all down to volunteers.
Non-profit group Conservation Volunteers New Zealand organises volunteering projects, supported by Ōrākei Local Board, that help connect people to their local parks.
In the past year events in Selwyn Bush have seen helpers remove invasive pest plants, 50kg of rubbish, and lay traplines now monitored to keep predator populations down in a bid to help native birdlife flourish.
The group’s volunteers alone have weeded almost 2000 square metres of ground and trapped more than 400 predators in the Ōrākei Local Board area.
“We are fortunate and grateful to have one of the best volunteer participation levels in the city,” says board chair Scott Milne.
“They are the glue that keeps our community strong and united and enable us to do some much more with our scarce resources.”
While the environment benefits hugely, Conservation Volunteers NZ also has community at the heart of its operations. The social benefits of volunteering include learning new skills, connecting to nature and local space, gaining a sense of purpose, and coming together.
Another local organisation overseeing volunteer work is Nga Kaitiaki Hapori o Pourewa, which runs regular weeding sessions at St Johns Bush, Kepa Bush, Selwyn Bush, and John Rymer.
“Since spring 2022, the group has been co-ordinating water quality and macro-invertebrate testing with community, including Selwyn College students, helping build a new generation of young environmentalists,” says programme manager, Ben Sheeran.
The group also arranged a corporate day around pest control, water quality and installing artificial inanga / whitebait habitat, and in May worked with 100 St Thomas's School students to plant pūriri, tītoki and pigeonwood to provide replacement canopy for privet along the Pourewa Stream.
Milne says one of the board’s main objectives is that the area’s land, forests, waterways and marine environment are protected, restored and enhanced.
“Our area is a great place to live because of its natural features. They need to be treasured, and its abundantly clear the work our volunteers do goes a long way to helping us achieve that.”
If you are interested in volunteering with Conservation Volunteers NZ, check out their website.
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