Whakarina Neighbourhood Group
Winners for Weedbusting on Public Land
Region: Auckland
Award Category: Auckland
Year: 2012
The Whakarina Neighbourhood Group is a selfless and hardy collection of neighbourhood families and individuals who are committed to weeding and restoring a tract of public land in Glen Eden, West Auckland, and building a strong, safe community in the process.
The group meets monthly for an afternoon of weeding, followed by a shared meal. We are always seeking new members, and our numbers are slowly but surely growing.
The land we are restoring [4.38ha] belongs to the Ministry Of Education, and runs adjacent to Konini School. It features a rather neglected waterfall and weed-choked wetland that we believe will one day be the jewel in the crown of Glen Eden: a gorgeous waterfall and lush native wetland.
Every month, we write an open invitation to the community to join us for the weeding and dinner, and this is published in the Konini School newsletter. We have found that involvement in our group enables families and children to feel an extra sense of ownership, belonging, and contribution to their school.
We also weed private properties in the area if we re asked. We figure this will prevent those properties sending weeds down streams into the land we are restoring, plus it builds community goodwill and we might get a grateful new member for our next weeding day!
In 2011 we started what we hope will be an annual tradition: we posted pamphlets around Glen Eden inviting the whole community to a mid-winter, night-time bushwalk to see the glow-worms at the waterfall, followed by a drink of hot chocolate. It was very dark and exciting for the children, and a great way to enjoy the fruits of our weeding labours.
The Whakarina Neighbourhood Group originally started in late 2010 when Pam Gill from Ecomatters Trust (working for the ’ Sustaining Our Streams’ project) put a notice in the school newsletter asking if anyone would be interested in stream, bush and waterfall restoration. Parent Clare Bates and community member Bridget Stubbs both contacted Pam, and she helped them form a group. They remain the co-ordinators, and the group has now taken shape as self-sustaining, independent, inclusive and grass-roots.
In August 2011 the group joined The Sustainable Neigbourhoods Programme facilitated by Mel Willmott from the Weedfree Trust. The programme encourages neighbours to work together to achieve a long lasting environmental outcomes with help and advice, herbicide and native plants for restoration. Mel has assisted us by attending most of our weeding days, and sharing her expertise on weed eradication, OSH requirements, and making a weeding plan for the land we are restoring.
Our desired outcome is to totally rid the area of weeds, and restore it to a lush and vibrant native haven for the whole community to enjoy and be proud of. We also want to build a strong and safe community, particularly for children: so they know their neighbours, know how to contribute and get stuck-in, and learn about weeds, native plants and bush lore. The group is educational, it has health benefits, and it s social too.
The greatest barrier we ve faced is getting new people interested and involved in the group. Time is valuable and come weeding with us on Sunday afternoon doesn t immediately present as a hot-ticket invitation. We do regular pamphlet-drops and newsletter ads, but the best technique we have found is word-of-mouth. And we re proud to say that once a person or family has actually experienced a weeding day with us, they re usually hooked.
A second recent challenge was obtaining the special permission required to use heavy machinery on Ministry land. To date we have used pruning saws to fell invasive weed trees like Privet, Wattle and Acmena, but we realise that the land will never be restored until the enormous granddad trees stop spreading their seedlings far and wide. Mel spoke to Terry on the school maintenance and works committee, and he will be assisting us to chainsaw the large pest trees at future working bees this year.
Partnerships are important to us: Mel from the Weedfree Trust organised a meeting with a delegate from our group Clare Bates to meet Michael Malins, the principal of Konini School, to explain our vision to him, and hear how he and the school may be able to assist. He is supportive, and is working with us. We also formed a partnership with the local organic butcher, who sponsored us by providing sausages for our summer BBQs.
Our group is growing and great community friendships are forming as we transform an unloved bush block into a native oasis for all Glen Eden to enjoy.