Six-year-old writes to council begging it to clean pond in much-loved park
From reporter Tina Law:
A decaying pond in a city park has been transformed after a 6-year-old girl wrote to the council begging them to clean it up.
Every time Sophie Marston visited Holliss Reserve in south Christchurch she would get upset about the state of the pond.
It was full of mud, leaves and rubbish, and she felt sorry for the ducks and eels.
She felt so strongly about it that she decided to write a letter to the Christchurch City Council.
In the letter, which she wrote in July, Sophie asked the council to come and clean the pond up so the ducks could have somewhere clean to live.
“Whenever I go to Holliss Ave Park and I look at the pond I feel sorry for the ducks and eels because it is full of mud, leaves and rubbish.
“Please could you clean the pond up and so the ducks can have somewhere clean to live.”
In early December, about five months after receiving the letter, the council cleaned out the pond.
Sophie, who is now 7, said she was happy the ducks had a nice clean home to live in again.
Her father Tim Marston said Sophie was quite proud of herself.
They were at the park on Saturday and overheard a family talking about how good the pond was looking.
“I said to Sophie that ‘even a little 7-year-old can make something really cool happen’.”
Council community parks manager Al Hardy said the pond had accumulated excessive amounts of organic matter which had detracted from the pond’s visual quality.
“We found the pond otherwise healthy, with roughly 600 fish (including eels) being re-homed to the Heathcote River, as part of the clean-up of the pond.”
He said the council received Sophie’s letter at the same time the team was working to resolve the issue.
“It’s great to see young people taking an interest in community parks and we want to thank her for highlighting this issue to us.”
Cashmere ward councillor Tim Scandrett said the state of the pond had been an issue for a while, with a number of people commenting to him about it.
He had previously raised it with staff and it was likely to be an ongoing problem.
He said it was wonderful that Sophie was concerned enough to do something about it and that she had the family support to do it.
Poll: How important is the ability to book a doctor’s appointment online?
Hi Neighbours
Here at The Doctors we would love to hear how you prefer to book your doctor’s appointments. With busy schedules, different people find different methods easier.
For some, online booking is very convenient, you can make an appointment anytime without needing to wait on the phone. Others still prefer calling the clinic and speaking to a real person, especially if they have specific questions about their visit.
Your feedback helps us understand what works best for our patients and how we can improve access to care.
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37.2% I prefer booking online whenever possible
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23.2% Online booking is helpful but not essential
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36% I prefer calling the clinic
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3.7% I didn’t know online booking was available
A reminder this hunting season
As thousands of hunters are making their plans for autumn – the Roar – recreational firearms groups are urging hunters to always be 100% sure of their targets.
Te Tari Pureke - Firearms Safety Authority NZ, which chairs the Recreational Firearms Users Group, has begun a public information campaign reminding hunters everywhere of Rule #4 of the Firearms Safety Code: to identify their target beyond all doubt.
Director Communities and Corporate, Mike McIlraith, says there is an estimated 50,000-60,000 New Zealanders involved in big game animal hunting each year, and the Roar is the key event for many hunters each year.
“The Roar is a fantastic time of year for hunters to get out into the hills after a trophy animal but hunting safely and making sure everyone gets home in one piece, still must be the most important goal of every trip,” says Mike McIlraith.
“The consequences of not fully identifying your target beyond all doubt can be catastrophic. Our message to hunters is a really simple one: If you are not sure, then don’t shoot.”
Mike McIlraith says while hunting fatalities are thankfully rare, research has shown that misidentification of the target is the largest firearms related risk to New Zealand deer hunters, and 80% of the time this involves members of the same hunting group.
The Authority says hunters should not feel pressured to take a shot: “Instead, hunters should take the time to analyse their target, wait and see if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how many points does its antlers have? Identifying your target means never firing at sound, shape, colour or movement alone.”
Mike McIlraith says good hunters will slow down, and run through some simple mental checks:
- Can I see the whole animal, or could this be another hunter?
- Where are my hunting companions – could this be them or someone else?
- How much of the animal can you see, if it is a hind or stag, how old is the animal, how - many points does its antlers have?
“Taking a little extra time to identify your target and check the firing zone is the key to safer hunting. No meat or no trophy is better than no mate,” he says.
Poll: Does a savoury scone require cheese on top, or folded inside?
Help settle the great kiwi debate ... cheese on top, or folded inside?
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76.5% Inside!
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23.5% On top!
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