- Since 2011, the Friends of Churchill Park have planted more than five and a half hectares of park land, monitored a pest trap line, and helped with weed control
- A small number of locals are damaging the park and clearing vegetation to make illicit bike tracks which the FoCP secretary describes as “demoralising”
- Friends of Churchill Park are always looking to welcome new members
The Glendowie community has long fought to protect Churchill Park’s status as public land, helping it become the park it is today.
Friends of Churchill Park (FoCP) was officially re-established in 2011, a community group which works alongside council to do pest and weed control, as well as native tree planting in the park.
Ōrākei Local Board has a good relationship with the group, and council supplies plants for the community planting days they organise.
Ross Dunlop, Secretary of FoCP Society Incorporated, has been involved with this mahi much longer, since the late 1980s.
“The current iteration of Friends of Churchill Park coincided with the new Auckland Council being formed in 2010. We became an active partner in caring for the park alongside the council,” says Ross.
“It’s a privilege to be involved in the regeneration of the native bush in one of Auckland’s larger parks.”
Since 2011, the group has helped with native planting and revegetation of up to six hectares in the park’s gullies. They also play a big part in the maintenance of the existing plantings.
“There’s a heck of a lot of work involved in removing pest plants to enable newly planted native trees to survive and mature,” says Ross.
Over the past 10 years, FoCP has also been trapping possums and rodents parallel to Glendowie Stream. Ross says he believes the trap line has been very successful in increasing bird life, since he now sees more birds in the park and from his home close by.
Recently there’s been concerns with people clearing regenerating bush and doing earthworks to form BMX tracks.
“It’s demoralising to do all the planting and the maintenance work and then have the trees cut down,” says Ross.
“I like to think that we generally enjoy a good level of community support. We feel that we are viewed as playing a positive part in the community. But to have these events of wilful damage is quite demoralising.”
Ross says FoCP would be supportive of a facility like a council-built pump track somewhere in the local community, with the hope that it would deflect pressure from the park.
One of the goals of the group is to increase its membership, especially with younger people.
Locals are invited to join and participate in planting, weed control and animal pest management.
They also accept junior members. From time to time, they are joined by secondary school students doing their Duke of Edinburgh award work.
“We find that they can make a meaningful and safe contribution, and we’re happy to sign off their work for them,” says Ross.
“We are standing on the shoulders of some sterling work by earlier generations. We wouldn’t have what we’ve got if it wasn’t for their efforts.”
FoCP meet the first Sunday of every month – visit their website or email possums@songbird.org.nz for more details on how to join them.
If you see any damage in Churchill Park or any other reserve or park, report it to Auckland Council through the Report A Problem website.