Landcare Okareka
Landcare Okareka was formed in May 2003 following the opening of the Lake Okareka Walkway in February 2003. A group of locals who were interested in assisting Rotorua District Council to look after the recently opened walkway came together with this task in mind.
The Steering Committee was formed and spent some time working out what the vision statement and goals for Landcare Okareka would be. Lake Okareka is a popular residential and recreational area. The native bush and rural environment, along with access to the lake, reserves and lakeside walkway, all offer a range of lifestyle and recreational opportunities for both local residents and visitors. People enjoy and value the natural beauty and abundant wildlife of this area. Therefore Landcare Okareka seeks to maintain and enhance the environmental features which are valued and contribute to Lake Okareka being a desirable place to live and enjoy, a physical environment for the Okareka settlement and lake catchment which:
· is enhanced and preserved from significant adverse human impacts
· is attractive and enjoyable, with good recreational opportunities
· has flourishing native vegetation and wildlife, and healthy ecosystems
· is managed and developed in a sustainable and sensitive manner
In 2004 Landcare Okareka were nominated for a Trustpower “Spirit of Rotorua” award, and won the Heritage and Environmental category. To begin with the main focus of Landcare Okareka was on the Lake Okareka Walkway. There was a lot of work to be done with numerous plantings undertaken, weed control, mulching, and so on.
In 2004 Landcare Okareka along with Rotorua District Council prepared a very successful funding application to Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Enhancement Fund. This was to carry out a much needed upgrade to the walkway to wheel chair and push chair standard to Silver Beach, along with the construction of disabled accessible composting toilets, a shade structure, a bird hide in the wetlands, safety edging along the boardwalk and numerous new seats.
Along with all of the track and building work there were also many more plantings undertaken. Plants have mainly been provided by Rotorua District Council and Environment Bay of Plenty. There have also been significant donations of plants from various nurseries over the years.
Landcare Okareka volunteers are still carrying out some plantings along the walkway. We are very pleased with the wonderful growth on the specimen pohutukawa trees along the walkway, which were planted back in 2005. Much of the recent plantings along the walkway have been down near the shade structure and the Silver Beach area.
There has also been the creation of a Remembrance Grove planting area along the walkway. This area is available for local Okareka property owners and residents to plant trees to commemorate various human events such as births, marriages, anniversaries and deaths.
In the last couple of years, the focus of Landcare Okareka volunteers has been shifting from the Lake Okareka Walkway to other areas around the Okareka village. Landcare Okareka has also undertaken work in the following places around Lake Okareka:
· invasive weed clean-ups at Steep Street Reserve and Boyes Beach
· clean up, planting, mulching and on going maintenance Hall gardens
· tidy up at the Okareka tennis courts reserve
· huge clean ups, on going weed control including bamboo and replanting along Acacia Road bank
· invasive weed removal and replanting at the end of Acacia Road
· working with Department of Conservation to install an all weather walking access way to the “Taumahi” peninsula, end of Acacia Road
· wetland plants along lake edge of Acacia Road reserve
· at the lake edge reserve opposite the end of Summit Road
· Clean up and re painting of Walkway and reserves signs
· weed clean up and planting of road bank between walkway entrance and Longfords farm entrance.
Working Bees are usually held on the 4th Saturday of each month, from 9 am to 12 noon. Look for the sign boards. We welcome anyone who would like to come along and help. This is an opportunity to meet other residents of Okareka, and make a difference to our environment.
Landcare Okareka was formed in May 2003 following the opening of the Lake Okareka Walkway in February 2003. A group of locals who were interested in assisting Rotorua District Council to look after the recently opened walkway came together with this task in mind.
The Steering Committee was formed and spent some time working out what the vision statement and goals for Landcare Okareka would be. Lake Okareka is a popular residential and recreational area. The native bush and rural environment, along with access to the lake, reserves and lakeside walkway, all offer a range of lifestyle and recreational opportunities for both local residents and visitors. People enjoy and value the natural beauty and abundant wildlife of this area. Therefore Landcare Okareka seeks to maintain and enhance the environmental features which are valued and contribute to Lake Okareka being a desirable place to live and enjoy, a physical environment for the Okareka settlement and lake catchment which:
· is enhanced and preserved from significant adverse human impacts
· is attractive and enjoyable, with good recreational opportunities
· has flourishing native vegetation and wildlife, and healthy ecosystems
· is managed and developed in a sustainable and sensitive manner
In 2004 Landcare Okareka were nominated for a Trustpower “Spirit of Rotorua” award, and won the Heritage and Environmental category. To begin with the main focus of Landcare Okareka was on the Lake Okareka Walkway. There was a lot of work to be done with numerous plantings undertaken, weed control, mulching, and so on.
In 2004 Landcare Okareka along with Rotorua District Council prepared a very successful funding application to Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Enhancement Fund. This was to carry out a much needed upgrade to the walkway to wheel chair and push chair standard to Silver Beach, along with the construction of disabled accessible composting toilets, a shade structure, a bird hide in the wetlands, safety edging along the boardwalk and numerous new seats.
Along with all of the track and building work there were also many more plantings undertaken. Plants have mainly been provided by Rotorua District Council and Environment Bay of Plenty. There have also been significant donations of plants from various nurseries over the years.
Landcare Okareka volunteers are still carrying out some plantings along the walkway. We are very pleased with the wonderful growth on the specimen pohutukawa trees along the walkway, which were planted back in 2005. Much of the recent plantings along the walkway have been down near the shade structure and the Silver Beach area.
There has also been the creation of a Remembrance Grove planting area along the walkway. This area is available for local Okareka property owners and residents to plant trees to commemorate various human events such as births, marriages, anniversaries and deaths.
In the last couple of years, the focus of Landcare Okareka volunteers has been shifting from the Lake Okareka Walkway to other areas around the Okareka village. Landcare Okareka has also undertaken work in the following places around Lake Okareka:
· invasive weed clean-ups at Steep Street Reserve and Boyes Beach
· clean up, planting, mulching and on going maintenance Hall gardens
· tidy up at the Okareka tennis courts reserve
· huge clean ups, on going weed control including bamboo and replanting along Acacia Road bank
· invasive weed removal and replanting at the end of Acacia Road
· working with Department of Conservation to install an all weather walking access way to the “Taumahi” peninsula, end of Acacia Road
· wetland plants along lake edge of Acacia Road reserve
· at the lake edge reserve opposite the end of Summit Road
· Clean up and re painting of Walkway and reserves signs
· weed clean up and planting of road bank between walkway entrance and Longfords farm entrance.
Working Bees are usually held on the 4th Saturday of each month, from 9 am to 12 noon. Look for the sign boards. We welcome anyone who would like to come along and help. This is an opportunity to meet other residents of Okareka, and make a difference to our environment.
LORRA acknowledges the support of Capers and The Pig & Whistle for their sponsorship of this site. Please support these locally owned enterprises.
