With their boots planted in the dirt every Wednesday morning, the expert weed whacking volunteers are intent on eradicating harmful invaders from Mangemangeroa Reserve.
Led and organised by Friends of Mangemangeroa (FOM) Society member Sally Barclay, the group of four volunteers weekly attend the native bush of the reserve in a collaborative effort to rid the land of the ‘silent invaders’ – invasive weeds that suffocate and harm the native flora and fauna.
FOM is a local, environmentally-minded group which works with Auckland Council to maintain and preserve the coastal forest along the Mangemangeoa Estuary on Somerville Road in Howick.
They raise and plant about 6000 plants a year. They hope to feature more specimen trees.
One of their initiatives is their Wednesday Weeding Group which stars Barclay, Dean Camp, Craig Bredner, Kevin Cruishank and other volunteers. “It’s been going for about two years,” Barclay says.
They work hard under the beating sun, ridding harmful species such as the Japanese and Himalayan Honeysuckle, Pampas, Kikuyu, and the worst one, Barclay declares, the moth plant.
Karyn Gradon, who was recently rewarded a Paul Harris Fellowship – a top Rotary award – for her dedication and efforts in conservation on Lot 29 [co-owned land that sits at the edge of the reserve], says that all these harmful plants overtake the natives and harm the environment. She works closely with FOM.
Each Wednesday the weeding extraordinaires visit a different location, de-weed and/or plant depending on sufficient rainfall and return later to maintain the area as the weeds grow back.
“Auckland is known as the weediest city in the world,” Gradon says. “It’s wet, and we have enough sun.”
Additionally, almost all of the 300 weed species that live in Auckland are garden escapees, Barclay says. “They come in as garden plants and get over and into the native bush.”
On Wednesday May 11, the same day as the Weeding Group attended to their weekly efforts, a massive planting was undertaken by Te Whangai Trust members on a large slip at Lot 29. Funded by a Howick Local Board grant, the planting was successfully finished the following day.
“This will be our last big plant,” Gradon says. “Now we just have to maintain it!”
FOM’s own planting days on the Mangemangeroa Reserve will be on Saturday June 11 with the aid of Forest and Bird and volunteers, and Saturday June 18 with Howick Rotary, the Pakuranga Chinese Association and volunteers.
If any strong-willed weed pullers are interested in volunteering with the Wednesday Group, they can contact Barclay at sallyannbarclay@gmail.com.
