Hello all!

Autumn is here and it marks the beginning of our planting season, and
this is going to be a good one.  On Sunday 8 May we have a working bee, followed by a social event for our friends and supporters. 
The Plan for the day is:

• Enthusiasts start at 10 am at the Nursery ( up the drive at the end of Danube Street, Island Bay )
• Main Working Bee starts at 1 pm from the Information Shelter
• Afternoon Tea 2.30 pm at the Nursery

Some of the plantings we've done in the early stages of Manawa Karioi
are now well established. The next step is to plant a range of species
that will eventually push their way up through the low forest canopy
we have now - species such as tawa, nikau, kohekohe, rewarewa and
several others. We don't get to plant these species very often, so if
you want to take part then set some time aside to join us.

The day will be run in two sessions. For the early birds we will be
meeting at the nursery at 10am. We'll be doing some nursery work for
the first 30 minutes before going to do some planting nearby.

The main event of the day starts at 1pm. We will be assembling at the
Information Shelter at the car park of Tapu Te Ranga Marae before
departing up the hill to the area to be planted. We expect the
planting session to take about 1.5 hours.

Afterwards, the Manawa Karioi Committee is hosting a social event for
anyone who wants to come along.  We will provide drinks, including
mulled wine, so bring your favourite afternoon tea dishes to share.
This will be a great chance to meet people involved with the project,
explore the tracks and the nursery, and see the progress we've made
with planting and weeding.

We'll gather by the nursery at about 2:30 PM as the workers come back
down from planting. Please RSVP so that we can plan ahead.

We've sent out a press release to advertise this working bee to
various local media. There's a copy below for you to read. Hope to see
you all next Sunday!

Cheers,
The Manawa Karioi Society

________________________

FOREST RESTORATION PROJECT SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

The Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project in IslandBay is
marking the United Nations Year of the Forest with the beginning of
its planting season on Sunday May 8th.

The project occupies about 12 hectares of former farmland at Tapu Te
Ranga Marae. Particular emphasis is being placed on planting species
that are rare or no longer present in the southern and eastern
suburbs.

“We have propagated more than 1,000 nikau and are also planting a
range of forest giants such as totara, rimu and matai” said Manawa
Karioi spokesman Ross Gardiner. The most established patch of bush at
the site is 20 years old. Tui have returned in good numbers and kereru
(native wood pigeon) are expected to return in the near future.

“As nice as it would be to see kereru return, it is a double-edged
sword as they disperse the seed of many invasive weeds such as holly,
ivy and cotoneaster which are a major threat to regenerating native
forest. One of our most important tasks is weed control and there
needs to be much more emphasis on controlling environmental weeds
throughout the city.”

“South Wellington has a limited range of surviving native plant
species, but we’re changing that. And because we are surrounded by
Town Belt land as well as several other restoration projects, in a few
years time we will be starting to get the diversity of flora and fauna
that you currently see around Otari-Wilton’s Bush. With Zealandia
being only three kilometres away as the kaka flies it won’t be too
long before some of its’ residents fly the coop in our direction.”

The Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project is open to the
public. The best access to the walking tracks is from the Marae
driveway at the end of Danube St. Follow the driveway for about 150
metres until you get to the carpark near the Information Shelter and
track entrance.

The public are invited to attend the May 8 working bee to help plant
species such as nikau, rewarewa, titoki, kohekohe, tawa and rata. Meet
at the Information Shelter at 1pm. Bring warm clothing, a raincoat and
sturdy footwear. Trees and spades will be provided.

Further information on Manawa Karioi can be found at www.mk.org.nz

--
Manawa Karioi Society Inc.
PO Box 7337
Wellington South 6242
www.mk.org.nz

Manawa Karioi Ecological Restoration Project - Te Kaupapa Haumanu
Taupuhi Kaiao o Manawa Karioi

Restoring native forest and wildlife to Paekawakawa/Island Bay - Te
whakahokinga o ngaa tamariki a Taane ki Paekawakawa