"Russell Landcare Trust have been extremely busy over the past two years with weed control in the Russell area. Concentrating on ginger, mothplant, gorse, smilax and asparagus in Kororareka Reserve, Te Maiki and Department of Conservation (DOC) Hirst reserve, Long Beach walkway, Zig-zag track, Russell Primary School and the entrance to Russell township near the landfill.

In one 60 metre stretch of garden dumping along Wellington St, Russell, they removed more than 50 cubic metres of noxious weeds, including periwinkle, wandering jew and cape honeydew. (The equivalent of six Russell Earthmoving trucks – full to the brim) The Far North District Council (FNDC) helped with the cost of dumping the rubbish at the Russell landfill.

The trust has obtained financial support from WWF for herbicides, and DOC for bumbags for secateurs, gloves, pruning saws and Vigilant containers as well as Growsafe training for members.

Waewaetoria Island, in the Bay of Islands, has also benefited from Russell Landcare assistance, releasing native trees from kikuyu and planting new natives along with DOC staff and other volunteers.

More than 800 native trees and shrubs have been planted in the above reserves, once weed control was done. The plants were growen from locally collected seed by the Kerikeri shadehouse Volunteers, and planted by Russell Landcare with the help of the Russell Primary School children. A wonderful legacy they are creating for all our children.

Planting flax, fruiting forest trees such as puriri, karaka and nectar bearing species including kowhai are all part of the Trust’s wider plan to help bring native birds back to the peninsula.

A weed identification workshop has been held for the public and weed information given away at the Russell Environmental Expo for the past three years.

At Christmas for the last two years, the Russell Landcare Trust has been involved in selling “Wilding Pines” from the Puketi Omahuta forest as Christmas trees to raise funds for the many aspects of the Trusts work."

Broni Nicol, DOC (nominator)