In 2024, nine regular monthly A Rocha working bees went ahead at Waiu Park. Those scheduled for April, July and November were cancelled because of bad weather, but in June we held two planting days, a week apart. The commitment of our core group of volunteers has been very impressive this year. Out of 27 people who came to working bees, the average turnout of 11, and the total number of volunteer-hours was 210, our highest ever.
A development this year was a Community Service Day, with many options, replacing the usual Sunday service at Hutt City Baptist Church. For three out of the seven volunteers that day on 12 May, it was their first visit to Waiu.
In the Autumn, our efforts focused on releasing and weeding around last year’s planting, particularly from the vigorous growth of reeds which has sprung up in the damp course which slopes down from the path towards the stream. Adjacent to the old trees near our table there is abundant regrowth of karamu and manuka seedlings. A concerted effort meant that blackberry, gorse and broom were finally cleared from the South-West corner of the site up to the path by the motorcycle bowl, and then along the bank beside the path down to the carpark.
In June, we planted about 350 trees and plants over two consecutive Saturdays. The mix of plants was similar to previous years with carex, harakeke, toetoe, mingimingi, cabbage trees, manuka and pittosporum.
Many of the cardboard plant protectors provided by the council, suffered in the gale-strength winds in spring. There has also been damage from animals wandering in Waiu Park and munching on the larger leafed plants. Hutt City Council has funded deer control, and several deer have been shot this year. Even a week after the first planting day in June many of the small carex grasses had been nibbled down, probably by rabbits.
The last few working bees have seen us weeding the ditch and sloping bank, beside the track down to the telegraph pole in preparation for next year’s planting.
We are grateful to Hutt City Council for their continued support, through Ecology Manager, Daniel Donoghue who organised plant delivery and removal of a large pile of rubbish, which we’ve been steadily accumulating over the last 3 years. Our thanks also go to Frank Neill who is always willing to write a brief summary of our working bees in the Wainuiomata News, complete with a photo. “Famous in Wainui”!
Morning tea is probably the highlight of the Saturday working bees and thanks again to Penelope for her classic cinnamon pinwheel scones, and to Jean who provides tea and coffee.
Finally, a big thank you to all of our volunteers who make this such an enjoyable project to be working on!
