Working bee in l’Anson Bush Reserve on Thursday 19 Sept

Elly from Te Puna

Volunteers needed - satisfaction guaranteed!
L’Anson Bush Reserve is situated near Te Puna between SH2, Loop Road and Armstrong Road. It was planted in 1987 by Tauranga Forest & Bird, and is managed by WBOP District Council. This lovely bush reserve has a 2 km walking track around a small lake.

In recent years many invasive weeds have taken hold and are spoiling the beauty. Manual eradicating is sometimes the only option. Monthly working bees are now being held at I'Anson Reserve every third Thursday of the month for weed control.

We invite people to come and help us on Thursday 19 Sept, 17 Oct, 21 Nov from 9.30 am – noon. Please gather at the car park off Loop Road, off SH2, close to Te Puna Roundabout. Please bring suitable footwear and personal clothes, hat, gloves, sunblock, drink, food etc if you wish, and preferably some hand tools too.

Regular volunteers for traplines are also being sought. It will take approximately 1 hour a month. All equipment supplied.

If you have any creative ideas on how to attract corporates or groups to come along for work days at the reserve to help achieve our weed free goal, please get in touch. Please share this invite with anyone you know who may be interested.

This project is a partnership between Forest and Bird and the QEII trust and the community.

Car pool available from Katikati.

See you at l’Anson!

Kate Loman-Smith, Tauranga Forest and Bird. Ph 021-657344, email katelomansmith@gmail.com


Background - how to make a Forest

27 years on, I’Anson 'Bush' Reserve is beginning to live up to its name.

In the late 1980’s, 10 hectares of land was donated by the I’Anson family to the Queen Elizabeth II Trust for the purpose of creating a sanctuary for both people and nature. Shortly after, with lots of planning and logistical scheming by many parties including Tauranga Forest and Bird, 1000’s of native trees and ferns were planted by 100’s of local volunteers.

Today the reserve is transformed from a barren paddock to a burgeoning native forest, complete with majestic lakeside Kahikatea glade. Prolific self-seeding of natives under the canopy is a sure sign that nature is taking charge of the future. Birdsong is increasing every year. The location of I’Anson Reserve in Loop Road, Te Puna, makes it an important wild-link from the Kaimai’s to the coast.

Unfortunately, the agreeable Bay of Plenty climate has meant that non-desirable invasive plant species have also become established. But volunteers are working away at eliminating them, with help from contractors.

“It is satisfying work” say the volunteers “watching the subtle changes in the canopy as the Taiwan Cherry and Privet trees are dealt to”. Exotic Palms are also becoming established under the canopy but make themselves obvious by their form. They are easy to remove to make way for the endemic Nikau.

Kate Loman-Smith, Tauranga Forest and Bird. Ph 021-657344, email katelomansmith@gmail.com