As Tauranga grows and more houses are popping up it's more important than ever to celebrate Tauranga's parks and reserves.
Next week is Parks Week and a range of activities have been planned.
The idea behind the week was to raise awareness of the social and economic value of green spaces around the city.
"As Tauranga grows we need to make sure it remains a thriving, liveable city. Parks and reserves play a huge role in facilitating that," Tauranga City Council parks and recreation manager Mark Smith said.
Tauranga City Council would be hosting events throughout the week, March 4 to 12.
Walk to work day: On March 8, locals were encouraged to commute to work on foot. Many of Tauranga's parks and reserves provided a pleasant alternative to walking on the street. Before heading into the office, people could stop at the Walk to Work Day stand on the Strand to grab something to eat before work.
Magical Park: Families with kids could download the free app Magical Park and go to Memorial Park to play from March 7. Magical Park was an augmented reality game similar to Pokemon Go. In it, people could catch cute animals and dinosaurs. Bring kids and devices down to the park at 10am on March 7 for the official launch.
Night Owl Cinema: Pete's Dragon: Night Owl Cinema would be playing Disney movie Pete's Dragon on March 4 at McLaren Falls Park where part of the movie was filmed. The film followed a boy named Pete and his adventures with his best friend Elliot - a dragon.
Rock hunting competition: Special painted Parks Weeks rocks would be hidden around Tauranga reserves. If you find one, take a picture with it and post it on Facebook with the hashtag #ParksWeekRocks.
For more activities and information click here.