Plant rescue working bee
It was a grey, cold day as I drove down the Valley to visit some native plantings which had been underwater during the floods. They were flattened & covered in silt & small debris & looked a sorry state.
Within the hour, the sun came out & I was joined by a fab group of volunteers: Some local like the group from Ngatimoti School & some from Upper Moutere, Nelson & even Wellington!
With gloves on and small trowels at the ready we gently revived each plant, rubbing off clumps of debris tightly wrapped around stems & branches, removing mud from leaves & snuggling roots back into the soil. Plant guards full of sand were removed & the plants were staked upright ish again.
Rescuing native plantings may seem like a small job in the big picture of flood recovery for our Valley & I have to admit that I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired myself, however it is these natives which we hope will hold the river banks together in future floods. Quick rescues now will ensure that any plantings which are 1-3+yrs old are able to photosynthesise again, giving them a good chance of recovery & ongoing growth.
With the support of the Motueka Catchment Collective, there will be more Native Plant Rescue Working Bees to come. Please contact Lucy support@motuekacatchment.org.nz if you would like to get involved in this mahi.
