Te Kakano trustees Jo Guest, Megan Williams, Andrew
Penniket, Nick Mills, Sophie Ward, and Matt Davidson are
behind a nursery project to re-vegetate areas of Wanaka
with native plants. Photo by Matthew Haggart.
A Wanaka-based environmental stewardship group is growing
at an impressive rate.
The Te Kakano native restoration nursery is more than living
up to its translated name of "the seed".
The nursery, which opened on the shores of Lake Wanaka last
November, has surpassed its target of propagating up to 5000
seedlings.
It has grown about 7000 seedlings of 20 different native
species which will be used for restoration and re-vegetation
projects in the Upper Clutha, next spring.
Te Kakano Trust chairman Nick Mills reported during a recent
AGM in Wanaka the nursery had returned better-than-expected
results.
"We will easily be able to achieve our initial goal of
providing several thousand plants a year for restoration
projects around the region."
The Te Kakano nursery is largely manned by volunteers from
the Wanaka community, under the direction of nursery manager
Andrew Penniket.
He said the support of volunteers was crucial to the
operation. On average, between three and five people help out
every Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at the nursery.
The area surrounding the Waterfall Creek outlet into Lake
Wanaka - a short distance from the nursery - has been
identified as Te Kakano's first re-vegetation project.
Trustees hoped the Te Kakano community-based and funded
initiative would be a model other riverside communities could
adapt and use for their own areas, Mr Mills said.
The charity trust is co-funded from community donations and a
$50,000 grant from the Wanaka-based Sargood Bequest Fund.
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