Landcare Okareka June 2011

Report June 2011

Much has been achieved by way of maintenance and improvements around the village reserves and walkway in the past three months, mainly by committee members working individually or in small groups, as well as in two public working bees.

Working bees:

In March we weeded an area alongside ‘the wash’ in the tennis courts reserve, and removed several undesirable trees. Due to wet weather the April working bee was postponed to May, when we planted up the area weeded and the tennis clubhouse surrounds with flax plants and shrubs.

Walkway:

Encroaching vegetation along the track sides has been trimmed back, leaves raked off, weeds removed from the adjoining area and some small slips cleared. Much needed topping up of the track surface with gravel by RDC has been held up by funding and access problems, and will probably not now be done until after the winter – we will have to put up with wet and muddy feet for a while yet! However the Council has installed a nice picnic table by the start of the walkway as requested by us, and has arranged for a work scheme gang to dig out flax plants which were too close to the track and replant them elsewhere

Village reserves:

In the scenic reserve by the northern corner of Loop and Summit Roads we have sprayed and mulched a further area of weeds, and removed undesirable trees and rubbish. Weeds have been sprayed or removed from several other reserve areas including the Hall grounds, the plantings in the scenic reserve opposite Benn Road and the side of Acacia Road. Vegetation on the sides of the track to the scenic reserve at the end of Acacia Road, and of the mistletoe and nature walks has been trimmed back.

Future Programme:

For the next few months we will be planting trees and shrubs in various locations: in the scenic reserve behind the sewage pumping station, and infilling along the walkway and beside Acacia Road. We also plan to remove weeds from the scenic reserve at the end of Acacia Road and do some drainage work along the walkway.

Pest control: Mike Goodwin has now destroyed over 50 wasp nests in the village. Demand from residents for rat bait has been increasing, and as the free supply obtained last year is nearly exhausted, we will have to start charging for it unless funding can be found for more. Several new bait stations have been sold. We have had possum traps set out on the walkway and caught eight possums in a few days. These traps are available for borrowing by residents.

Finances:

We are continuing to receive a flow of donations, from walkway users in the donation box and from local residents, for which we are very grateful. The money is used for equipment and materials for our work, and improvements such as planting stock and signage. We are having a new sign made with updated information about Landcare Okareka to replace the old one near the start of the walkway.

As always we welcome enquiries, comments, suggestions and offers of help from residents. Contact

Sandra Goodwin

Secretary

Landcare Okareka
Ph 3628 865

Rod Stace (who wrote this report) 

Ph 3628 523