Making a difference

Kia Ora.
We are in the middle of probably the most busy season of the year. The planting season. This year we have a huge numbers of plants to plant around the peninsula to help restore Te Korowai a Tāne-  the cloak of the forest god Tāne.
Plants are donated from WCC and the Forest & Bird nursery.  We have several sites this year, but one of the main focus points is at Cenntenial park/ Mapuia Reserve and along the new bike track that has been installed. Several hundred plants have already been planted and there is still more to plant in this area. Our focus is to bring back the broadleaf and canopy species of flora. Tawa and kohekohe being the two dominant species that we are re introducing. Tawa and kohekohe was previously the two manin canopy species making up the coastal forest once covering the coastline around the Wellington area. Kohekohe has large glossy green leaves and sweet-scented, orchid-like flowers grow straight from the trunk or large branches. Kohekohe flowers are an important and favored source of floral nectar for tūī, bellbird and hihi, Especially in winter when nothing else is really flowering. Tawa’s light green, willow-like foliage is quite distinctive. Tawa produces a large fruit of a dark red plum colour. With large fruits the Tawa is notable for the fact that it relies solely on the Kereru and Kokako for dispersal of its seed.   Today tawa is all missing from the peninsula area, and kohekohe is restricted to a few individuals and seedlings in a small location near Scorching Bay.

Currently we have planted over the years over 400 kohekohe on the peninsula and 200 tawa, Sound like much, but one you see them out in the bush, does not look like much. Should be as more common as mahoe, which is currently the dominating tree in the area.
Some of the other species we plant a large number of is pigeonwood. rewarewa, hinau, putaputaweta, nikau and pate etc. All of these you can read more about on our plant selection page. Some does not grow large and are suitable for gardens as well like pate and putaputaweta.

Other sites where you can see some of these species is Overton park, but more easy seen and accsess is the little pedestrian walkway from Totara Rd up to Nevay Rd. A couple of Kohekohe are planted in this area, as are two totara. One being quite tall and can be seen from the top of the road coming down. Totara used to be one of the dominant podocarps in the area. A large emergent canopy tree (but can be just as easily pruned to a small hedge) attracting mainly native birds, which disperse the small orange seeds.  BY 1872, all totara on the peninsula, had been cut down for building purposes.
If you are keen to get out and help us plant some trees and other, drop us an email here or on our facebook page.

See ya out there…

Joakim
Project Coordinator