Spring News- October 2021
Spring in the Park
Following a dry winter, the recent rains are a welcome sight, greening the landscape and giving this past season’s 24,000 new plants a well-deserved drink. It is now the second year of our planting project and 39,000 native trees have been planted with 20,000 more to be planted next winter. Many different varieties are being planted to create the canopy that will form our new native forests.When you visit the Park, you may begin to notice these young manuka, kanuka, kōwahi, harakeke, koromiko, tī kouka, mahoe, and many other varieties as they get taller and begin to establish themselves.
If you are visiting the more established forest areas in the Park this time of year, like Webb’s Bush, take a moment to listen for the tūī who may be singing from a flowering kōwhai.
To learn more about what you might find, wander through Webb’s Bush with forest ecologist Dr Adam Forbes: https://bit.ly/webbsbush
A short walk from the Main Gates Car Park on the yellow track, you can easily add Webb’s Bush to your walk next time you are in the Park this Spring.
Wishing you a bountiful season,
The Te Mata Park Trust Board
2021 Te Mata Park Survey Results
To all those who contributed to this past year’s survey, thank you. The results are in, and as a Trust Board we are working toward improving your experiences in the Park. We’re glad to hear that Park users are pleased with the track quality and the facilities, and we’re also listening to you in the areas where we can improve.
In response to the survey, the Trust Board is making steps to:
- Improve signage and wayfinding
- Prioritise resources for forest restoration and sustainability
- Increase road, vehicle, and personal safety
- Roll out Park-wide educational signage
We will continue to run surveys to help gauge Park user satisfaction and allow the community to have a voice in how the Park is managed. Should you have any queries or concerns, please do get in touch.
Thank you to our survey sponsors: Ask Your Team for their time, service, and expertise, and EIT Hawkes Bay for facilitating an intern to help with running the survey and collating the data.
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.
WORDS FROM MIKE LUSK (our resident plant expert and caretaker for over 20 years) :
Spring 2021
Fungi in the Park
The many fungi in the Park are mostly out of sight unless they push up fruiting bodies in the form of a mushroom/toadstool. This they will do when conditions are suitable, most frequently after warm rain. The fruits are tiny spores which may be moved about by wind, rain, passing feet amongst other mechanisms. Beneath the surface is the main part of the fungus, a system of roots called a mycelium which you may see as a beautiful fine white ‘tree’ if you turn over a wet piece of wood. Most trees have an intimate relationship with one or more species of fungus at the level of the finest roots. There is a busy and variable exchange going on-the tree transfers energy produced by photosynthesis and the fungus provides soil chemicals to the tree. This process is obviously tricky to study but is slowly becoming better understood. Some fungi are damaging to trees as in the case of the disease killing kauri trees in the north and a similar one which kills kawakawa including some of the latter in the Park. Fortunately it doesn’t seem to be a major issue at the moment.Here are a few of the fungi you may see while walking in the park:
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.
Four times winner of the presitigous international environmental award.
