Tinaku planting thrives in spring time
Over September and October, the Tinaku Project has continued its planting efforts, completing seven more native restoration projects.
These projects include restoring a wetland, plantings along streams and farm drains, and connecting pockets of existing natives along a waterway.
A total of 4,415 plants went in the ground this spring along 930 metres of waterways along four streams. The total area planted is 1.0 ha, including 0.16ha of wetland restoration.
At Craig McIlraith’s farm, ESAI has planted along a tributary of the Lee River, connecting with two pockets of existing native plantings.
The stream is now fully fenced and lined with native plants, from the seepage spring headwaters to its confluence with the Lee River. The plantings will shade the waterway, improve in stream habitat, and filter and up take any excess nutrients.
David Hewson checks out the planting along Craig McIlraith’s Lee River tributary.
On Alistair and Marion Clarke’s lease block on the edge of Te Waihora, the Tinaku Project has carried out two small projects.
The first is the planting of a buffer along a farm drain, shading the waterway and reducing the need for chemical or mechanical clearing of weed growth. Additionally, planting has been done around two springs and the wet edge of an adjacent paddock.
We are excited to watch as these plantings grow and mature, creating attractive corridors, improving mahinga kai values on farm and providing habitat for native wildlife.
Tinaku staff have now turned their attention towards carrying out further site assessments, drafting
restoration plans and negotiating plant orders for the 2022 planting season.
If any ESAI members have areas on their farm that they think could benefit from restoration works, please contact David Hewson or Johanna Blakely (johanna.tinaku@esai.co.nz), to arrange a site visit.
