The very wet summer of 2011-12 has been a very busy time for the Tuesday group who have met regularly each week, including the holiday period. The phenominal growth of weeds in many of our project areas has proved to be a challenge and much spraying has been needed to control them. Luckily we have booming attendance on Tuesdays and regularly have more than 20 there, so whatever task we undertake can be achieved quickly.
As we approach our 21st birthday in July a cracking pace has been set and PLANT PREPARATION for this winter has been to the fore in our weekly work. The nursery at Thornton Rd. is an absolute picture, full of healthy plants just waiting for the rain to arrive before we start planting them out. Our aim is to beat our record of 8 000 plants in the ground last year, and to complete as many projects that have been going on for a few years as we can. Our enlarged Tuesday Group reached 22 on our best day and we would welcome others to join us. We have lots of laughs and good company.
NURSERY WORK this summer has concentrated on preparing plants for the winter planting program. There has been spraying, seeding, cutting propagation, weeding and potting on and now we have a very full nursery that is an impressive example of what volunteers can do. Steve of Antonns Nurseries has been very generous with cheap end-of-line plants and a number of truckloads have been potted on at little cost other than our labour. We have saved the lives of at least 2000 plants from this source alone.
PLANNING. Much discussion has taken place over the summer on key planting projects for this winter, and our plant needs for each has been assessed and prepared.
FUNDING FOR PLANNED PROJECTS like the Meadow Walk has been under the guidance of Joan McCathie who has been very successful in the last 6 months. The $1 500 from the Cambridge Lions has resulted in another picnic table being erected on the lower terrace of Lola Silcock Park. Under John Davies, this project is now complete and attracting use and favourable comment. We applied to the Waikato River Clean-up Trust for funding to create a Meadow Walk between Alpers Ridge Road and Fletcher Place, and gained $38 000 for the project, which is detailed below. We have further funding applications in the pipeline as well.
HIGHLIGHTS OF 2012 SO FAR. Winnning the 2011 Supreme Award at the annual TrustPower Waipa District Community Awards evening in the Cambridge Town Hall last year, after having won or been runner-up of the Heritage and Environment Award for 7 years previously, resulted in Leslie Wood and Don Willoughby attending the National Finals in Methven late in March. Competing against 25 other local body winners was a challenge and our delivery of an 8-minute DVD was quite professional and solid but we were up against some truly outstanding volunteer groups. It was a wonderful weekend of sharing ideas on volunteer work and our nick-name became “the Tree People of Cambridge.” We were highly respected for our efforts in planting over 100 000 trees and plants over our two decades, and the creation of many tracks and parks.
THE LOLA SILCOCK PARK ON BATH ST. What a picture this project has become! We are now in year 4 of this 5-year project and the transformation of a weedy rubbish-filled wilderness to grassed terraces, with seats, picnic tables and 2-3 year old plants has been remarkable. It is being well used and is attracting much favourable comment. Throughout summer our members have been spraying regularly to control weed growth.
During January a quite moving ceremony was held with members of the extended Lola Silcock family who had gathered in Cambridge from all over the world, and 11 great-grandchildren planted a kowhai tree each in her memory. We are now sourcing a memorial basalt boulder on which a granite plaque will be placed and located on site. A novaflo drain put in by Brian Mayo's teams has overcome a drainage problem here and there will be more planting done on this memorial kowhai grove this winter.
Corrections Department teams under Brian Mayo's guidance have spread the huge quantity of bamboo mulch that became available from the Middle Terrace over much of our planting on Lola Silcock Park. The latest earthworks by Paul Garland Contractors, who redistributed topsoil and stockpiled autumn leaves, has created a further smoothed-out and quite large slope for us to plant. This is also being mulched.
A welcome surprise offer from St. Peters School senior students who have to undertake some community work as part of the International Baccalaureate course resulted in the planting on April 1st by 9 students of 807 tussocks, flaxes, hebes and small shrubs on our newly-mulched slope. We now pray for rain as this planting was earlier than usual. Oh to be young again and able to plant at the speed of these young people! Another session is being lined up for Term 2.
On April 3rd, John Davies and his team erected the Lions Club picnic table on the lower terrace and it has already attracted favourable comment from dog walkers and a tramping group from Lauriston Park retirement village.
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT. David Phillipps and Leslie Wood have made a remarkable transformation of our website over the summer. The history of our projects, parks and tracks has been recorded and some of the videos of our work over the last 21 years are quite remarkable and emotional. A huge thank-you to them as many, many hours of work have been done. Many thanks also to Chris Twemlow of All Things Web in Hamilton, who guided us through this transformation, and who did much of the work setting up the new site and transferring material from the old one. Without his help, the new site could not have been built.
Please note the new web address in the details at the top of this newsletter.
LAKE TE KO UTU. Over the summer, Brian has been beavering away with his Corrections teams controlling weeds, making access tracks and using his unique chutes for transporting mulch and soil to where it is needed on steep slopes. All this work is in preparation for a big winter planting, and first up will be the colourful deciduous azaleas which have spent the summer at our nursery. When planted out, they will make a great show next spring. We will spend many days planting around the lake.
MEADOW WALK. The idea of creating a meadow walk from River Gardens to Fletcher Place has been mooted for a number of years and at long last we are making progress. There has been much discussion with and assistance from WDC staff and 2012 is Year 1 of a 5-year project here. Numerous stiles, marker posts, fence realignment to recover some private encroachment, signs and an access gate have been provided by WDC. It is a work in progress. With a grant of $38 000 from the Waikato River Clean-up Trust, this walk will be a major focus of our work this winter. A sub-committee will be making key decisions and working closely with WDC, the lessee of the grazing rights and local contractors to achieve the best result. It will take time, so be patient as it must be done correctly. It will be a challenge.
2012 is shaping up to be an outstanding year for the Cambridge Tree Trust, which is appropriate in our 21st year. Please get involved in some of the many projects that will be on-going this year, and if you wish to help us celebrate our 21st birthday in July, please contact us.
Don Willoughby, Chairman. April 2012
