Matuku Link Planting Day
24/06/2019
Million Metres Streams Project and Matuku Link Planting day – June 9th 2019
On Sunday, Lisa and I showed up for the Matuku Link Planting day representing Ecotricity. Million Metres helped to organise and coordinate the event along with the amazing volunteers leading the Matuku Link restoration project. The team at Ecotricity love what Million Metres are doing and we thought that we would head along to check it out.
We were super impressed. The day was split into 3 parts, rescuing plants, planting new trees and a guided walk around the wetland. Matuku Link is a wetland restoration project out near Bethels Beach and it links the Arc in the Park with the Forest and Bird Matuku reserve. It encompasses 37 hectares of restored farmland and waterways and it is rapidly turning into an environmental treasure with rare birds and plants within it. While there, we saw two Pateke ( Native nocturnal ducks) as well as countless Piwakawaka ( fantails ) and we helped to plant Harakeke (flax) and Kahikatea and Te Kouka ( Cabbage trees).
The dedicated Matuku Link volunteers knew the area intimately and we found the day fun and informative. We learnt how to rescue trees from weeds using these crazy sharp tools called Sharks and how to plant native trees so that they survive heavy rain and Pukekos.
The atmosphere was fun and welcoming and the lead volunteers plied us with incredible food, about 5 varieties of delicious vegetarian home made soups, bread and a sausage sizzle.
The Matuku Link project runs monthly and the Million Metres Streams Project run events right around New Zealand. It’s a fabulous family day out and I totally recommend it. It gives volunteers to opportunity to be a part of nature and to contribute to making New Zealand’s waterways, air and environment cleaner and better for the next generation.
If you haven’t been to the Matuku Link Project. They run planting days every month and once a year they do a kayak tour around the wetland. It really is a magic place.
The team at Ecotricity will definitely be attending more planting days and we hope to see you there.
