A lakeside nursery at Wanaka is hoping to sow the seeds of community involvement to help regenerate native plant species along the Clutha River corridor to the coast.
The Te Kakano Trust launched its new venture at Wanaka on Saturday, when chairman Nick Mills said they hoped to inspire other riverside communities along the Clutha to replicate the initiative.
Te Kakano is a maori translation for "the seed" and Mr Mills said the trust hoped the native plant regeneration programme from the lakeside nursery would be like a seed "flowing down the river to be taken up by others".
The inspiration behind the trust had come from the Clutha River Mata-au group's proposal to develop a trail along the Clutha from its Lake Wanaka source to the Pacific Ocean.
Mr Mills said the new nursery would be run by volunteers and the propagated plants and seedlings would be used for regeneration projects around Wanaka, and then along the Clutha River.
He hoped other riverside communities would establish their own regeneration programmes to replant the river corridor.
Wanaka farmers John and Jill Blennerhassett donated the land for the nursery, which is located alongside a Queen Elizabeth II Trust initiative founded by the pair to covenant a section of regenerated native bush alongside Lake Wanaka's Waterfall Creek track.
The nursery will have twice weekly morning sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday where community volunteers can participate in seedling and propagation nurturing programmes.
