Musick Point – Te Naupata Reserve has had a major spruce up thanks to a group of community volunteers and a cash injection from the Howick Local Board.
The land, part of Ngai Tai ki Tamaki treaty settlement, has been neglected for many years and had many phoenix palms, wattle, tobacco plant trees and many other registered pest plants growing there.
Phoenix palms have dangerous/poisonous spikes and are known habitats for rats. Some phoenix palms have been retained for nostalgic reasons.
There was also a lot of rubbish under the trees and scrub and the area was very difficult to manage pest trapping lines.
The Howick Local Board funded the clearing of the pest species also paid for the planting of the whole area in native trees and flaxes which was completed last Sunday.
The combinations of these plants will provide habitat and food for native birds.
Over the next months Ngai Tai and Pest Free Howick will maintain a pest plant control programme to help ensure these young plants will reach maturity.
