2014 Events & Achievements

Working Bee - Highbury 23 November

Thanks to Andrew, Ken, Rhys and Keith for a good morning's work releasing the kowhai and other trees planted some years ago below the Stationers Shop in Highbury.

These trees were planted with the permission of the Wong family - but the back of this property was bought by Council as part of the Highbury bush connection and walking track programme.

The working bee was originally going to be in amongst the bamboo below the Westpac Bank - but a very smelly flow of sewage was flowing out from under the building. Click here for more details of this pollution.

There are some willow trees spreading around the stream here - we will raise this with the volunteer coordinator to see what can be done about them.

"Beyond the Fence" nature discovery walk - 6.30pm Friday 21 November

LeRoysBush retweeted

Working Bee - Sunday 2 and 7 June 2014 - Highbury

In another impromptu working bee on 2 June, we cleared blue morning glory from the trees behind the Senior Citizens hall where the new track will enter the bush then traversed the slope below the Aetherius Lodge and dealt to some large clumps of pampas grass and a lot of blue morning glory, plectranthus and Japanese spindle tree. A beautiful and peaceful morning. On 7 June, we delivered rat bait to volunteers, talked with Valley Road residents about remediating the planting on the bush side of the road and cleared privet, ginger and other weeds from behind the shops on Birkenhead Ave.

Beyond the Fence restoration working bee - Sunday 25 May 2014 - Seaview Ave

The first Beyond the Fence event saw 22 people turn up to clear a range of pest plants in the bush on the west side of Seaview Ave. Thanks very much to Margaret, Rupert, Nicky, Mary, Mike, Sylvie, Kim, Carol, Isobel, Duncan, Dianne , John, Andrew, Marc, Mary, Diana, Linda, Geoff, Zaneta and Keith. It was a very productive morning's work followed by a chat over a wonderful late morning tea. Thanks very much to Mike and Diana our hosts and to all who organised the morning - in particular Mary Stewart from the Biosecurity team on Auckland Council. Thanks also for the wonderful morning tea and coffee and baking.

See the photos on https://www.facebook.com/groups/birkenheadpoint/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/203108196403911/

Working Bee - Sunday 18 May 2014 - Highbury

Another impromptu working bee in Highbury on Sunday 18 May. Continued to cut up the privet by hand and pull out blue morning glory, woolly nightshade and privet. Sadly someone has cut down a yucca plant or something similar and the sections are starting to sprout in the reserve! We hope to plant native seedlings sourced from a private section adjoining Le Roys Bush once we have the pampas grass and blue morning glory under control.

Working Bee - Sunday 11 May 2014 - below Maritime Tce

On the advice of EcoScience, our EIF contractor, who has already started the 2014 weed control programme, today's working bee tackled blue morning glory climbing up ponga and other native trees to the east of the old sewage pumping station. The ground was a matted mess of morning glory vines, climbing up into trees around the edge of the wetland. Also pulled out some pampas, woolly nightshade, privet and wattle - the old bugbears.

Working Bee - Sunday 4 May 2014 - Highbury

Another impromptu working bee in Highbury on Sunday 4 May. Someone in an apartment block had got a contractor to fell privets on their property so they fell onto the reserve - crushing both mature native trees and young plants that volunteers had spent many working bees planting along the stream edge. Deadheaded the worst of the weeds and cut a track through the fallen privet.

Working Bee - Sunday 27 April 2014 - lower wetland

Because many people were going to be away, this working bee was left up in the air. At the last minute, one member found they were in town and the weather was good, so he released the native grasses on the track running from Dudding Park up towards Glade Place.

Then he made his way tentatively into the swamp - stepping from clump to clump (without falling in the water) to dead-head a lone pampas seed head out amongst the carex and raupo. With the seed head safe in a big plastic bag, he made his way back to shore - only stepping in shallow swamp streams on the way back. (It makes one admire the skill of the contractor who works in the wetland each year tackling pampas, willow, honeysuckle and other weeds in the wetland). There were two pampas growing in the wetland at this point - as well as a lot of honeysuckle. Surprisingly, there was a 4 foot manuka growing not far from the two pampas grass - must be self seeded.

Further along the track, a ti tree had fallen over into the wetland in an area where woolly nightshade, dozens of wattles and other weeds were starting to emerge. You may notice that some branches from the fallen tree are now dotted around in amongst the baby wattle. With luck, some new ti tree will seed in here from the other manuka/kanuka growing in the area.

Working Bee - Sunday 23 March 2014 - bottom of Glade Place

The area at the bottom of Glade Place is starting to look as though we have broken the back of the weeds and that the native grasses, manuka and other natives are starting to re-assert control. While we found many beggars ticks, willow weed, nut grass, etc, they are significantly less prevalent. The manuka, carex secta are starting to shade out the weeds and confirmed our proposal not to do further planting in this area. Instead we will focus on releasing the natives and prevent major weed species from taking off. The manuka is doing really well in a number of areas - and hopefully will start becoming a native seed source spreading across the weed infested areas.

Thanks very much to Andrew, Carol, Mark, Richard and Keith who stomped and cleared 100s of weeds - releasing the native grasses, shrubs and trees.