Planting advocate Ross Hawthorne has ticked off yet another river planting milestone and is expanding his focus.

More than 10,000 plants, of at least 30 species, have been planted along the Ashburton/ Hakatere River trail spanning from Trevors Rd to Chalmers Ave.

Hawthorne has been trying to establish a native forest alongside a section on the northern banks of the river, east of Chalmers Ave.

It has seen thousands of seedlings planted.

Now he is looking west and toward the Ashburton River bridge trail where district council has sprayed.

Hawthorne is keen to hear from more volunteers who may be able to help with the clearing ahead of planting next year.

‘‘It’s actually going to be easier than I thought it would be,’’ Hawthorne said, of the new direction.

‘‘I’m quite happy with that idea.’’

Council spraying started two years ago and a lot of the area sprayed included blackberry which was quite brittle now, he said.

‘‘You want to make sure it is completely dead.’’

Hawthorne said in the new area council would provide plants but he would seek funding for bamboo stakes.

Some of the plants that have been planted to-date are: Akeake, Astelia, Broadleaf, Beech, Native broom, Cabbage trees, Carex, Coprosmas, Cottonwoods, Corikias, Danellia, Five fingers, two types of flax, three types of hebe, Kanuka, Kahakatea, Kowhai, Lancewoods, Lacebarks, Manuka, Mingimingi, Mahoe, three types of Olearia, 2 types of Pittosporum, Toetoe, Toothed Pseudopanex, and Wineberry

Past plantings have been done by a myriad of volunteers including pupils from schools in the district, community groups, Ashburton Community Corrections and individuals. There has also been business support.

‘‘We did an extension part on the other side of Trevors Rd - that wasn’t really part of the area I was going to do, I wasn’t going to go across Trevors Rd - but I sort of forgot to stop and had (Ashburton Community) Corrections in to clean out and we got that planted.’’

He was now keen to hear from people able to help with the new area. The more the merrier.

‘‘We will be doing the clearing...we always have on going maintenance so if someone else joins us, there’s always, they won’t be idle.’’

 

■ If you want to help Ross Hawthorne with his project to plant natives along the Ashburton River, phone him on 028 409 8185.