Brooklyn BOMB squad planting project gets the tick

The August MCC newsletter introduced you to the Brooklyn BOMB squad, who are tackling OMB in the Brooklyn area and doing a fantastic job. Here they are pictured at their 10th working bee in August this year. Group leader Kim Burridge is pictured in the red top. Read about their mahi here –Community group fighting Old Man’s Beard in the Motueka Catchment – Motueka Catchment Collective

Group leader Kim Burridge is feeling very happy with progress, saying:

“A recent wander along the road from the Brooklyn School to the Brooklyn Reserve was extremely heartening – there is very little OMB regrowth in that area, and what there is can easily be dealt with by a small amount of spraying. That stretch of our territory should be straightforward to manage with a twice yearly inspection from here on.“

Despite having their sights on “bombing” OMB in the wider area, particularly up the West Bank Road as far as Blue Gum corner, some Brooklyn OMB group members began exploring the possibility of a restoration planting project on part of the Brooklyn Stream bank that leads from the Linden Place reserve up the Brooklyn Valley. They applied to the Biodiversity and Restoration Group for funding, as well as talking to TDC and the landowner.

The project has been given the big tick by all parties! Here they are at the project site from left to right – landowner / orchardist Sheldon James, Kim Burridge (project leader), Shane Jellyman (TDC), Steve Holloway (contractor) and Helen Forsey (TDC, BOMB squad, MCC).

The Motueka Catchment Collective (through the BAR group projects) have committed $1,548 funding towards the project, and the TDC have committed $2,145, making a total of $3,693. The project involves:

• Clearing scrub from the site and forming a basic path
• Creating a planting plan, with MCC support
• Sourcing plants with help from MCC
• Maintaining and preparing the site until winter 2025
• Community planting day/s in late winter 2025
• Ongoing occasional weeding days

Kate Radloff, Chair of the BAR Group says:

“This project is a great example of a strong community group already up and running wanting to diversify their mahi. The effort’s the group is putting in to tackle environmental challenges and priorities in the catchment, and in their local area, is awesome to see”.

The team are looking for local Brooklyn residents who might be interested in getting involved in this project. If you are from Brooklyn and might be interested, please email Kim Burridge on brooklynoldmansbeartmustgo@gmail.com.