Education Archives - Te Mata Park Trust

Winter News- July 2021

July 31, 2021/in Community, Education, Planting Trees, Revegetation, Updates, Volunteering /by Sara Shaw

We’ve had a stellar planting season this winter with many successful planting days. Our community of volunteers and donors have been hugely supportive: thank you to all of you who contribute. Te Mata is fortunate to have such passionate people, schools, families, and businesses assisting with the native revegetation of our beautiful maunga. This year, 24,000 plants have been planted across Te Kahika, the Tauroa Forest, and our Rongoā Garden, which is no small effort!

To encourage as much native biodiversity as possible and ensure high survival rates, we’re planting quite a variety of species including harakeke, karamu, manuka, kanuka, carex, pimelea mimosa, cabbage tree, toetoe, mingimingi, koromiko, and kowhai, to name a few.

With nearly 40,000 new plants in the ground over the past two years, and an additional 20,000 to be planted in 2022, the planting programme is already a huge success. Read on to learn more about community engagement and upcoming events.

Wishing you a warm winter season,
The Te Mata Park Trust Board

Creating New Native Forests

As we look ahead to 2022 and the final year of our planting programme, we’d love you to join us in supporting more planting projects than ever before. Every single $10 native tree you gift or donate has a huge role to play in the future of Aotearoa. Thank you.

GIFT A TREE TO TE MATA PARK

Te Mata Park Kaitiaki Project: Schools for Trees

Te Mata Park’s 2019 One Giant Chance Campaign asked the community to raise $1.25 million to purchase land for sale near the park. Together, hundreds of individuals, families, businesses, and charitable trusts of New Zealand contributed to the purchase of a large block of land adjacent to Te Mata Park, growing the park by 8.5 hectares. This land, named Te Kahika by mana whenua, has been open to the public for seven months with new trails for walking and biking as well as Tamariki Ako, a kid’s bike track for the younger riders. There have also been extensive plantings to revegetate Te Kahika with native plants and trees.

With kaitiakatanga in mind, the Te Mata Park Trust Board created the Schools for Trees Kaitiaki Project. This initiative asked a number of local schools to ‘adopt’ a small block in Te Kahika, plant native trees, and then continue to care for it by weed releasing, watering, and adding more plant species in future. There is no cost to the school; it is a way for schools to become kaitiaki of their maunga and continue engagement with Te Mata Park beyond the public planting events by providing them with their own section to plant out and care for as a lifetime project.

The schools responded to this project with enthusiasm, and five Havelock North schools have adopted blocks of land to care for. Havelock North Primary School, Lucknow School, Te Mata School, Havelock North Intermediate, and Havelock North High School will plant trees annually and visit their section every couple of months to care for their trees and enjoy the green space they are building as a community.

This project has inspired schools to engage in different ways. Te Mata School has formed a Kaitiaki Club which includes the families of children across year levels. They are also adding to a kowhai grove annually with kowhai trees that are gifted to the Year 5 students by the Year 6 students at the end of each year. Havelock North High School has a Year 10 environment group that will take on the leadership of their block annually, and Havelock North Intermediate will include their William Pike Challenge students as caretakers each year.

The school planting areas surround a large flat area near Tamariki Ako that will be used for school sessions, picnics, and gatherings in the future. As this area grows and the schools continue with the project, we hope the children’s experience of guardianship and sustainability will grow alongside it, creating lifelong conservationists who care for the land around them.

READ MORE ABOUT SCHOOLS FOR TREES

Refreshed Walking Tracks and Improved Te Ihu

Thanks to our track teams for all your hard work this winter. The access track on the purple/blue walking tracks which leads from Chambers Walk up to the plateau has been graded for safety and accessibility, thanks to Dave Gordon of Baywide Dingos (pictured first). In that same area, our caretakers Alex Tuffin and Alex Clare have also been working hard to bring the old rim track off the blue track back to life. After a bit of a hiatus, park users are pleased to be able to use this track once again.

Thanks also goes to track builder Paul Needham for his work on MTB track, Te Ihu (Trench Track, part of Te Ihu, pictured second). This newly improved track now boasts better drainage, easier lines, less ruts, and is riding better then ever. Te Ihu is a grade 4, but with the improvements, it’s not as sketchy as it was previously. If you haven’t ridden Te Ihu lately, check it out this weekend!

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities:

Sunday 8th August 9am-12pm– Management of the new plantings, adding mats and guards, and mulching young plants to ensure survival. Meet in the Main Gates Car Park.

Sunday 29th August 9am-12pm– Rongoā Garden working bee, meet in the Rongoā Garden

Join us for a working bee in August!

Please let us know of your attendance by sending a message to sara@tematapark.co.nz.

The Park is nothing if not for our volunteers. Thank you to each of you for giving back to our beautiful Park.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RONGOĀ GARDEN

Park Pest Control

Te Mata Park is interested in recruiting some volunteers for our pest control programme, which will make a huge difference in protecting our birdlife and invertebrates. The role will involve helping us to check our box traps as well as advise of any catches, ideally once a week. All traps will be close to walking tracks, but not highly visible, and there will be 24 traps in the park in total.

Fitness is required, and training will be provided. This would be a great volunteer role for those who walk the park regularly.

Contact Park Manager Emma Buttle to become part of our pest control crew: info@tematapark.co.nz

WORDS FROM MIKE LUSK (our resident plant expert and caretaker for over 20 years) :

Weed Control – Winter 2021

The planting has progressed very well as is evident by all the sticks and cardboard protections in both the Tauroa and Te Kahika blocks. As expected there are many weeds too, notably in the Tauroa area where the large pines have been collecting seed, but suppressing germination for many years. By contrast, in the Te Kahika block which was mainly grasses, there is nowhere near such a problem. By and large, grass is our friend in the planted areas.

Getting trees in the ground is the glamour part of revegetation, but there is no point in doing it without continuing care, especially weed control which is crucial in the first few seasons. Once the trees are big enough to cast shade, the weeds will nearly all become less of a problem and most will disappear.

Weed control is now underway with the first effort targeting blackberry, which will climb into small trees and grow up with them. Thousands of pine seedlings have been removed in the Tauroa block, mainly by hand pulling, and this will need to continue for a few years. Next in line is pink ragwort, a very rapidly growing pink daisy which flowers profusely in spring, looking very beautiful as it does. It produces vast numbers of windborne seeds, which seem to be able to last in dormancy for many years. Much of the vigorous green growth seen in the Tauroa block now is in fact this daisy, and plans are being made to tackle it very soon. If you are confident you can recognise it (pictured below), please pull out small plants you see. – Mike Lusk

Park User Reminders:

DOGS: Please control dogs and clean up after them. If you have a dog that can be unpredictable, please keep them on a lead.
CAR THEFT: Please don’t leave valuables in your car when visiting the Park to discourage theft from vehicles.
INCIDENTS: Report any incidents you see by contacting us through Facebook or notifying the police by calling 105.

THANK YOU for your ongoing support of Te Mata Park.
Please do contact us HERE if you have any questions or concerns.

Support Te Mata Trees Volunteer With Us

Havelock North school kids become kaitiaki of Te Mata Park plots

July 6, 2021/in Community, Education, Planting Trees, Volunteering /by Sara Shaw

2 Jul, 2021
Hawkes Bay Today

School kids at five Havelock North schools have been given the opportunity to become kaitiaki of their own sections of Te Mata Park.

As part of efforts to plant more trees in the park, Te Mata Park Trust reached out to Hawke’s Bay schools to get them involved.

The Schools for Trees Kaitiaki Project was created which asks the schools to “adopt” a small block of land in the park.

Five schools near Te Mata Peak are on board and planting started on Friday.

The school planting areas surround a large flat area near Tamariki Ako – a piece of land purchased in 2019 community fundraising project One Giant Chance – that will be used for school sessions, picnics and gatherings in the future.

Havelock North Primary School, Havelock North High School and Lucknow School took part in the first planting day, planting mānuka, kānuka, kōwhai, harakeke, tī kōuka, ribbonwood and makomako.

Havelock North Primary School planted 150 plants, Lucknow School 60 and Havelock North High School planted 60.

Havelock North Primary School teacher Emily Cooper said after studying a kaitiakitanga unit, the pupils were looking at ways they could be kaitiaki of the local area and were naturally drawn to the peak as it is “such a huge part of our community”.

The pupils benefit from learning how to plant properly, identifying native plants and understanding how to care for them, and knowing the positive impact they can have in helping develop local ecosystems.

“Students loved the opportunity, many of them named the plants they personally planted and spoke about coming back to visit them.

“They talked about feeling connected to the land and wanting to be up there more often.”

The school plans on coming back to its plot each term for maintenance, weeding and general care and the aim is that the pupils and their families continue to be kaitiaki of the plot even after they leave the school.

Lucknow School teacher Jayden Austin said it is a great opportunity “to put our sustainability hats on” and connect with the local maunga.

“I think education outside of the classroom is invaluable. Together we are tackling real-word problems in a fun, engaging and empowering environment.”

The pupils learn about interdependence between themselves and the environment in projects such as this and can gain life skills in sustainability, he said.

“Our students had a blast; they cannot wait to come back and check on their trees and plants. ”

They plan on remaining involved through further planting and upcoming maintenance.

Havelock North Primary School pupil Sophie Rimmer said she wanted to take part to help the trees grow.

“When you’re older your children can see Te Mata Peak and see the trees you planted.”

Fellow pupil Oskar Wilding said he thought it was good because they could get out, get some exercise and plant some native trees that they can go back and see later.

Te Mata School and Havelock North Intermediate will take part in the second planting day on August 6.

: Parent helper Mike Clarkson (left) with Havelock North Primary School Year 5 pupils Oscar Wilding, Sophie Rimmer, Charlie Clarkson and Eadie Madden at the planting day. Photo / Warren Buckland

: Havelock North High School environmental committee co-leader Minho Kim and student Alaura Ritchie help out at the planting day. Photo / Warren Buckland

Summer News and New Land Launch

December 20, 2020/in Awards, Community, Education, Mountain Biking, New Land, Revegetation, Uncategorized, Updates, Volunteering /by Sara Shaw

December 2020 Summer Newsletter

After a very big year in the Park and a recent Green Flag Top Ten international accolade, there is much for Te Mata Park to celebrate. The forestry project has come to a close, thousands of native trees have been planted and mulched, new tracks have been built in the new land, and they are now officially open and ready for summer adventures!

Though there is still work to be done in the new block including educational signage, an additional 24,000 plantings, and a water feature in the rongoā area, it is a magnificent moment to admire what has been accomplished in 2020.

Countless contributions have gone into creating this new part of Te Mata Park, and the Trust extends gratitude to each and every person and organisation involved. We hope you enjoy this exciting new place to roam!

Thank you to all those who participated in our two grand opening events on 15th December. It was exceptional to see our whānau, community supporters, donors, sponsors, and volunteers enjoying the new land for the first time.

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has given their time, resources, and energy to create new native forests and new places to play in Te Mata Park in 2020. There will be much more to come in 2021.

-The Te Mata Park Trust Board

NEW TRAILS

New walking tracks:

Tipuna Footstep – Walk in the footsteps of our ancestors. Connecting the Main Gates to Tauroa Road, this walk, made possible through community fundraising efforts, takes you through the Rongoā Garden with spectacular lookout points and past a wahi tapu site and kōwhai grove.

Rongoā Garden – Rongoā Māori is the traditional healing system of Māori, encompassing herbal remedies, physical therapies and spiritual healing. In our Rongoā Garden, cared for by our Rongoā Rōpū, we grow medicinal and beneficial native plants, maintaining a valuable resource for the whenua of Te Matau a Māui to learn about rongoā Māori.

New MTB Tracks:
Te Kahika- Intermediate track, downhill
Kōwhai Climb- Intermediate track, uphill
Tamariki Ako- Easy, kid’s skills track

Join in Giving Trees This Christmas
A $10 gift that will impact future generations

The Park Trust has ambitious plans to plant nearly 44,000 more native trees over the next 2 years, including extensive plantings in the recently opened new block of land. In the long term, this will significantly improve biodiversity, creating a beautiful habitat for native birds and a wonderful destination for all park users.

These plantings are not possible without the charitable contributions of visionary community members who see the importance of this incredible place. This holiday season, help shape the future of Te Mata Park and give the gift of native trees. To purchase native saplings, head to our donations website HERE. When you donate, you will receive an email with a link to a certificate that can be given as a gift this Christmas. A great gift for the nature lovers, hikers, bikers, walkers, and runners on your list that love the park or children who will enjoy the park for years to come.

Volunteer Mulching Days

After a busy winter planting 15,000 native trees in the Park, we worked very hard this Spring to protect them from the dry, summer days by spreading mulch around them. The Park held multiple volunteer days over the past few months, and small but passionate groups of volunteers did the hard mahi hauling mulch uphill in large buckets.

The Park is nothing if not for these volunteers. Thank you to each of you for giving back to our beautiful Park.

If you can spare some time, we could use your extra hands next year to assist with volunteer working bees, our rongoā garden, and running our annual survey.

Educational Update – Havelock North Kindergarten and Primary School

This past term, the Park continued working alongside our partners Enviroschools and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to welcome tamariki from Havelock North Central Kindergarten and Havelock North Primary School to learn about their maunga and the wilderness area of Te Mata Park, the flora and fauna endemic to the Park, the Atua experienced while in the Park, and the importance of becoming kaitiaki of this land.

On the hikoi and in the redwoods, tamariki engaged in the nature classroom in many ways, identifying plants and insects, building huts out of the natural world around them, discussing environmental change and biodiversity, and working together to create a learning space reflecting sustainability and kaitiakitanga of the land.

These creative and curious young conservationists were excited by the possibilities of what they could do and demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of preserving their natural spaces. Asthe tamariki discovered the various relationships in the forest around them, they witnessed how living things need each other to survive, and how their own relationship with the environment can also have an impact (whanaungatanga).

Both schools are acting on their learning, planning to grow plants for winter tree planting next year, and they are exploring other ways to strengthen their relationship with their maunga.We look forward to providing more nature-based education experiences to schools and community groups as our programme continues to evolve; please get in touch with us HERE if you or your school would like to get involved.

WORDS FROM MIKE LUSK (our resident plant expert and caretaker for over 20 years) :

Red Admiral Butterfly

Summer 2020
Summer is the time to look out for native butterflies in the Park. The little blue grey one is by far the most common but yellow and red admirals are also there. The caterpillars of the red admiral (pictured first) feed on the leaves of the native stinging nettle, ongaonga which is one of the good reasons to leave it in areas where it doesn’t intrude on tracks.

But the copper butterflies, which look like miniature monarchs are more common than the admirals and can be seen collecting nectar from flowers. Their caterpillars feed on the leaves of pohuehue, which is the tangly plant scattered in the pasture and on the bank close to the Te Mata Park Road carpark. So if you glimpse a flash of orange watch the butterfly and you may well see the it settle on a dandelion nearby. In the morning they spread their wings to catch the sun but when it’s warmer they rest with their wings closed and are practically invisible.

– Mike Lusk

Copper Butterfly