Julie McLintock is affectionately known in her local community as “the weed lady”. Julie moved to her Cable Bay property 10 years ago and since then has been a tireless worker on both her own land (that borders the Cable Bay estuary), neighbouring properties and public land. Julie works all around the Cable Bay estuary and says ‘she is determined to get rid of as many weeds as possible’.

Carpobrotus edulis (iceplant or hottentot fig as Julie refers to it) is well established on the Delaware Spit where it is displacing the native iceplant and encroaching on the nesting habitats of groundnesting birds. Julie has been responsible for the removal of this weed from the Cable Bay Boulder Bank and regularly monitors the area to prevent seedling re-establishment. Julie has also been responsible for the removal of boneseed from the Cable Bay roadsides.

Because of her extensive plant knowledge, Julie is very encouraging and supportive to her neighbours regarding how to deal with problem weeds. She is currently working on Japanese honeysuckle and ivy (this is growing rampantly in the native remnants that still exist from the roadside down the steep bank to the estuary edge), buddleia, Californian poppy and ginger !!!

Julie is also very involved with the local branch of Forest and Bird and to complement her weedwork has become involved in predator trapping on the Paremata Flats Reserve which abuts the estuary edge. Trapping by the local Landcare volunteer group and weedbusting by Julie has contributed to the return of fernbird to the estuary edge.

Julie was a founding and still is a current member of the Wakapuaka Rivercare Group. This group established in 1999 produced a booklet in 2007 telling the story of the river running through the lives of the local community. One of the aims of the booklet was to recognise and celebrate the work by local people to enhance the river and estuary environment.

Julie McLintock “the weed lady” is a true ‘local hero’.

Nominated by: Barbara Stuart, Regional Coordinator (Nelson Marlborough) NZ Landcare Trust