At our latest working bee on Sunday 11 May, we spent the afternoon in autumnal sunshine getting happily mucky knocking back willow at a native planting site in Cheviot’s Hutchison Reserve.

The site is the launch pad of the Jed River Catchment Project’s long-term plan to restore the quality of the Jed River, which is fed by Woolshed Creek that runs through the reserve. Heidi Tirikatene- Nash, the project’s co-ordinator, explained that the group decided not to use chemical toxins around the creek but instead chose to cut down the willows then cover them with weed mat to prevent regrowth. This has mostly worked but in places the willow is resprouting and needs controlling before more weed matting is laid. Other weeds we dealt with included blackberry, plum, cherry and alder.

Our clearing efforts are in preparation for local volunteers and schoolchildren to start another round of winter planting, adding to the 3000 plants that have gone in the ground since 2022.

Weedbusters’ May working bee was to have been at Hanmer Springs, to help control woody weeds in a wetland, but the site was too wet after the heavy rain at the start of the month. We will try again later in the year. In June, we will be releasing young plants at a site in Blythe Valley, on Sunday 8th.

For information about Hurunui Weedbusters or to join us, contact Belinda Meares, Hurunui Biodiversity Trust, [email protected], 0221 600 383, or Rima Herber, [email protected], 027 8722 329.