Volunteers plant 1200-plus trees at Papamoa Hills Regional Park

Planting volunteers at work on the steep slopes of Papamoa Hills Regional Park. Photo/File

More than 1200 plants have been planted at Papamoa Hills Regional Park this weekend.

About 80 volunteers, including children, helped to plant the native trees on Saturday.

"We are really grateful to everyone that came along yesterday," Bay of Plenty Regional Council senior projects officer Courtney Bell said.

The park is being re-vegetated with 30,000 native trees this year.
Bell said it was the second of a five-year park planting project that will restore logged areas, create a safe-haven for wildlife, and protect important historic features from erosion.

"Contractors have already made a good start on the planting work and will finish off what we can't do with volunteers," she said.

Today's public planting day at Papamoa Hills Regional Park was cancelled.

"Heavy rain overnight has made the steep planting area slippery and unsafe, so we've called off the event today," Bell said.