2018 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Once again the Tree Trust has made outstanding progress. Our weekly volunteer membership is very strong and a delightful challenge occurs each Tuesday in trying to find sufficient tasks to keep the core of some 25 or more passionate volunteers busy. While we haven’t planted as many trees, shrubs and grasses this year, nudging just over 3000, we have taken on the task of clearing weeds on many of our former projects that Waipa District Council parks and reserves staff have not been able to keep tidy. A regular smaller group of volunteers now meet each Thursday morning and their task has largely become maintenance on WDC reserves around town. Next year I turn 80 and health challenges this year have lessened my work input. As a life member and having been a member since the Trust’s inception in 1992 I’ve done my bit and hence a new chairman is required.
There were many highlights in this year of consolidation and this lists some of them.
The Lola Silcock Park project is now in its 12th year and the tireless work here of Jan and Eric Todd in clearing weeds, spraying and mulching and planting has got to be commended. A wet winter has resulted in drainage issues in some areas that WDC will have to address. Jan and Eric modified some of our early planting, and this winter much new and infill planting was undertaken As with all our projects, ongoing maintenance is needed. Parts of this park look a picture and annual grants from the George Marshal Trust have helped with costs here and his passing earlier this year is noted.
The Meadow Walk project is now in its seventh year and the Waikato River Trust is featuring our work here in their annual report and magazine as an effective example of how their funding, in two grants of more than $50,000, has been successful. Their report is here:https://www.waikatoriver.org.nz/project-stories/the-meadow-walk-cambridge-tree-trust/
John and Jane Moodie have been superb with their passionate work here, and they have driven the well planned wet land development of MW5. We have undertaken much planting here in gumboots, and after spraying and mulching, this area is looking superb. After considerable pressure from us the WDC agreed that the Meadow Walk track needed upgrading and they undertook this task at some expense and now we have a very driveable all weather track.
The popular Lake Te Ko Utu is also proving a planting challenge, especially on steep sections. The weed growth here creates a dilemma, and with assistance from St Peters environment group some work has been done here. The proximity of the Camellia Walk to the Lakewood development and its potential encroachment is being closely monitored. The Lions grant of $2500 to purchase specimen trees for planting the steep bank at the lake must be progressed in 2019. The work of Jan and Eric Todd on Blackie’s Bank is superb, and that area is looking great.
In the nursery a group led by Bruce McComb has made ongoing improvements and we now have masses of sharpened stakes to support trees we plant in 2018 and beyond. Bruce has produced a new wheeled potting table and the regular Jumble Around grant helped defray our nursery expenses..Jan Todd, with her nursery experience has reorganised the plant naming and layout. With botanist Joan providing her germinating and cutting expertise, a large proportion of our plants are being produced at no costs other than voluntary passion and labour.
Very useful additions to the nursery have been the lockable cupboards for storage. a cold frame which came via Joan and was expertly crafted 2 by Roger Dean. The expertise and abilities of our large group of volunteers is a real strength of our organization.
The Oak Arboretum is complete and attracts much favourable comment. The addition of the Lovelock Oak sapling requires an explanatory panel in the future. Neville is IC weeds and pruning and his work here is outstanding. and much appreciated by the public and by us.
The Maple Arboretum is an ongoing project where the Community Board have provided some assistance, funding us for the purchase of maples and labeling materials. The first plantings here three years ago are starting to make a statement. Infill planting, spraying and mulching continues and we are lucky to have the support of Mainly Maples, as this project continues. The planning and work on this project is a credit to the passion and drive of the Todds, Moodies and Neville. Much public praise has resulted.
Payne Park has been retired from grazing and considerable work has been undertaken here to remove privet and gorse and get all the steep faces sprayed, mulched and intensively planted by our teams. Over 1000 plants have so far been located here. WDC has constructed a new track through this park and it now links with the main Te Awa track. The whole area is now mown by Council. Work here will provide us with challenges in the next few years.
Resthaven work is also ongoing. We received a $15,000 grant from the Bill and Joan Flower Trust with the proviso that it been spent in the Resthaven area. The new track to open up the Moon Spring has now been finished and this has opened up a large area for new planting. We have so far given Resthaven some 500 native plants which a resident of Resthaven has planted. I attended a key meeting of Resthaven Trust members and walked the new track and commented that our trust could undertake considerable work there with the assistance of the Flower grant. Jan, Jane and I have reviewed the plantings we have done there so far, and a 2019 plan is being drawn up to continue our work there. A key meeting with WDC is being held soon to propose a link to the Moon Spring track and enable public access. This whole area is an exciting project to be involved with, and will keep us busy for a few years.
Roger Dean and his team have been working for the last few years on the establishment of a Bluebell Dell in Anns Patch. Annually more bulbs are being added and the spring flowering display there is well worth a walk.
Under the guidance of Lesley MacDonald, the Thursday group planted some flowering cherries from Amber Nursery in Blackie’s Reserve. This initially was met with objections from some neighbors but was resolved with Community Board support. More recently all the groups of trees Blackie planted in this reserve have, with considerable effort, been thinned, pruned and weeded.
David Phillipps with the guidance of Chris Twemlow, an IT expert from All Things Web of Hamilton, has been working assiduously on our website and built up an ongoing history of our work. The website is being refined with regular updates. It is now very professional and that is gaining us much kudos
I compliment the small team that have met with WDC staff re protecting large trees of Cambridge. We are now considered to be an important participant in the process
Our planning for 2019 needs to be undertaken with the new management team, with the required plants accessed and being potted on. Our list of planting projects for next year will ensure we are kept busy.
Financially we are in a very sound position and credit here must go to Greg Liddy and our grants expert Joan McCathie, Donations regularly roll in as our public profile is strong and the work we have done around town greatly appreciated. Grants and support has been received from many sources.. We need to place on record the growing cooperation and support which we have received from the Waipa District Council and its staff in this last year. I thank Mitre 10 for the continued support of our monthly article in the Cambridge News which Jane Moodie researches and writes. A special thanks also to Hogans accountants for their continued support
An appeal to incoming management. Revamp and update the constitution, continue to write up the history of the trust and I offer to do this. Continue to work with passion and friendship as a total team to improve the parks, reserves and trees of Cambridge.
Don Willoughby,
Chairman,
1.11.18
