Newsletters & Annual Reports
Midwinter 2013.
The sudden passing of foundation member Brian “Blackie” Mayo was a shock to us all. His passion for the Cambridge environment and especially trees and birds, his energy, his ideas on future projects and love of playing pranks on fellow members will be sorely missed. His patient and supportive work with Corrections Department teams was legendary. His jokes and stories at morning coffee were a weekly highlight. They too will be missed. In memory of his outstanding contribution to Cambridge parks and reserves we have suggested to the Community Board that the Oaklands swale between Thornton Rd and Swayne Rd be named the Brian Mayo Reserve. At the risk of Blackie being able to “haunt us from above” as he promised, the Trustees of the Tree Trust have recommended to our July management committee that Brian be confirmed as a Life Member. He thoroughly deserves to be publicly recognized as such although he never sought such accolades.
We have just completed a year in which there were many highlights.
Our core group of over 15 volunteers meets each Tuesday and have certainly made a difference to the Cambridge landscape by planting a record 9 423 plants (as at 10th November), mostly natives, along river bank tracks and in reserves and parks around town.
I must thank this group who are such active environmental enthusiasts and together have made our 21st year such an exceptional one. There were many highlights in 2012, and some are listed here:
The last weeks have been exceptionally busy for us and our plantings for 2012 currently stand at over 5000, mostly natives. Our Tuesday working bees have been well attended and on average some 20 people meet weekly at the nursery.
Lola Silcock Park.
We have continued to plant here, in new areas and also thickening the plantings in older areas. One Sunday session with a team of senior students from St.Peters School resulted in over 600 plants going into a mulched area in 3 hours. In total so far this winter we have planted 1 750 grasses, flaxes, native shrubs and speciment trees here. We have erected a memorial stone and plaque to Lola Silcock in the kowhai grove which her great-grand-children planted back in January. The cost of this was over $700 but it was covered by donations from the Silcock family and from Dr. George Marshall, and we thank Wailkato Stonecraft and Greenscape Contemporary Landscape Products for their discounts.
The whole park is now looking a picture, with the Lions picnic table installed and an acknowledgement plaque to go on it shortly. Weed control is an issue and involves considerable work for those members physically capable of carrying the equipment.
We thank the Parks and Reserves staff of the Waipa District Council for their support, and for keeping the area mown and tidy. Council contractors and others put autumn leaves there for spreading as mulch by teams from the Corrections Department.
Cambridge Primary School.
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.
Supreme Winner TrustPower Waipa Community Awards 2011
Spring Newsletter and Annual Report
AGM 15TH NOVEMBER AT 10:30AM
at the Thornton Road nursery
We currently have about 90 members and under the eagle eye of Greg Liddy we are financially sound. The winter months have been a busy time for the Tuesday group who have met regularly each week. Under new leadership a cracking pace has been set for this year, our 20th. The themes of COMPLETION, PLANNING and PLANTING have been to the fore in our weekly work. In April, our full nursery at Thornton Rd was an absolute picture at the beginning of our planting season. We have been busy planting around town for the last 5 months, often twice weekly, and now our nursery is in desperate need of of a summer of plant regeneration as close to 7000 plants have made it into the ground so far this year. Our aim this winter was to complete as many of the projects that have been going on for a few years as we could. Our Tuesday group reaches 14+ on our best days and weekly totals of 300+ plants left the nursery on the back of our distinctive new truck and ended up safely planted somewhere around town. Our morning planting record now stands at 515. More members are welcome. There are lots of laughs and good company.
I wish to place on record the huge amount of time our hard core volunteers spend on CTT work. I am privileged to be able to lead such passionate people. Thank you for your friendship and time, which make being a member of CTT such a positive and worthwhile experience.
Supreme Winner TrustPower Waipa Community Awards 2011
The summer months have been a busy time for the Tuesday group who have met regularly each week. Under new leadership a cracking pace has been set for this year our 20th. The themes of CONSOLIDATION, PLANNING and PLANT PREPARATION have been to the fore in our weekly work The nursery at Thornton Rd is an absolute picture and full of healthy plants just waiting for the rains to arrive before we start planting them out around Cambridge. Our aim this winter is to complete as many projects that have been on going for a few years as we possibly can. Our Tuesday group reaches 14 on our best days and we would welcome others to join us. We have lots of laughs and good company.
The Cambridge Tree Trust was registered with the Charities Commission as a Charitable Entity under the Charities Act 2005 on 16 August 2007. Registration No: CC10859
