Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust founding trustee (centre) Jacqui Knight recently presented certification to Waitaki District Council recreation specialist Lyndsay Hyde (centre) to establish the Oamaru Public Gardens as a butterfly friendly habitat. The trust is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 to ensure biodiversity promotes a thriving moth and butterfly population. Oamaru resident Hazel Agnew initiated the project and contacted Mr Hyde to achieve certification. Ms Knight said Gordon Martin, one of the founders of the group Friends of the Monarch Butterfly, and known as the “swan plant guy”, was a “fount of wisdom” on butterflies in the gardens and had been involved for a “very long time” to create an oasis for monarchs at the gardens. Otago University botany professor Janice Lord (not pictured) met Mr Hyde to undertake the assessment which included looking at locations, signage, propagation of swan plants and other suitable plants, stream margins, long grass suitability and diverse wild flowers, native trees and shrubs suitable for monarchs. Photo/Story: Jules Chin
