Keen hands made for easy planting work for Sanatorium Reserve project

Hard work being put in to planting the natives. Photo / Supplied

Keen hands made for easy work as people braved the rain, planting 100 natives and sowing seed at Sanatorium Reserve recently.

This area worked on was recently cleared and now new growth of natives such as kānuka, mānuka, mingimingi and turutu will cover the open ground.

This planting operation only required a small group because of the limited number of plants that needed planting.

The people who attended were from organisations that have been involved with the restoration work along the way.

Those organisations were Wildlands, Infracore Limited, Forest and Bird Youth, Eco Warriors Rotorua and Conservation Dogs.

For the most part the reserve will regenerate naturally with a bit of help here and there, but Rotorua Lakes Council will be looking for more opportunities to involve the community as the restoration programme progresses.

This work is part of the ongoing restoration project that began in 2018.

Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson says It was very encouraging to have community support on a lousy day weather-wise, but especially heartwarming to be joined by the Forest & Bird rangatahi (youth) and to see their passion for our environment and indigenous biodiversity.

"This project is significant locally, nationally and internationally on many levels.

Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson getting among the planting action. Photo / Supplied

"Locally speaking, it begins to address a historical wrong as the reserve was once the site of the city dump until 1969."

He says it is one of very few geothermal reserves anywhere in the world, on the doorstep of a CBD, and a breeding sanctuary for endangered native species such as the black-billed gull and prostrate kānuka.

"Interestingly for me, I learned on this planting bee that the threat to the black-billed gull is not one of the usual suspects [rats/stoats/cats] but the black-backed gull!"

Dave says Te Arikiroa, within the reserve, is also historically significant, the site of a battle between rival iwi with many casualties.

Members of the community who want to get involved in helping out with these projects, can email info@rotorualc.nz with contact details and a Sport, Recreation and Environment team member will be in touch as opportunities come up.