Source: Auckland Council
Thanks to the tireless work of volunteers, schools, teachers, Auckland Council’s Park rangers and the Howick Local Board, a remarkable change is taking place.
Ecological volunteering initiatives and the Adopt-a-Park program have made a positive impact in the Howick area, with 6,957 plants planted during the 2024 winter planting season (five hundred trees were planted in the first quarter, from July to September), seven Adopt-a-Park school planting events and 280 planting participants.
With $50,000 in funding from the board, works include planting days, pest plant and animal control, local park clean-ups, and community environmental education and events.
The aim is simple, to empower the community to take meaningful environmental action, fostering a sense of responsibility while enhancing and protecting the area’s natural resources, promoting sustainability, and creating a healthier, more resilient environment for future generations.
Chair Damian Light says, “We know our community is passionate about protecting and restoring our local environment. Thanks to the incredible work of our park rangers, locals can contribute to the cause, turning this amazing passion into action.”
The board area has been heavily modified by human activity over the last 150 years.
Most of the land is urbanised (78%), only 6% of the area remains in native vegetation, primarily in bush reserves such as Point View Reserve, Murphy’s Bush and Mangemangeroa Reserve. However, it also has an abundance of open spaces – both formed and natural.
Light adds, “This is a key focus of our
Local Board plan, where we collaborate with our partners to protect and restore vulnerable ecological areas. We need only look to our parks and reserves such as Lloyd Elsmore and Barry Curtis Parks, Mangemangeroa, Te Naupata / Musick Point and Ohuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain, to acknowledge the vital role they play in protecting our biodiversity and the provision of habitats for many species of native flora and fauna.”
Through 10 local park planting events, everyone worked together to plant new trees that are expected to store around 10,757 tons of CO2 by 2050, helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve the local environment.
Friends of Macleans Park planting.
“It’s fantastic to see the community coming together at these events, leaving a legacy that will change the landscape for the better,” says Light.
Some of the standout highlights of the 2024 winter planting season included:
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11 local park volunteer groups / individuals
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1,049 local park volunteer hours (equivalent to $29,162)
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5 parks and reserves with animal pest control
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1 school planting, and
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500 plants planted in local parks.
Locals who want to learn more can contact mylocalpark@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Friends of Murvale Reserve planting.
Adopt-a-Park
A region-wide programme funded by the Natural Environment Targeted Rate that sees schools ‘adopt’ their local park and participate in a year-long series of ecological education and action initiatives.
This programme offers rangatahi (youth) in primary to secondary school the chance to explore nature, learn about biodiversity, cultural heritage, pest impacts, and engage in ecological restoration activities in their local park.
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