Auckland RENH Kaipatiki Creek Trial - Umbrella Project's Journal

Journal archives for July 2019

July 25, 2019

Native Plant Trail

The Trial-site path edge has been defined from its entry on Kaipatiki Road to its departure from the Valecrest Place walkway / steps by pigtail cordon with a heavy-duty plastic fencing tape.

Thereafter it has been defined along its streamside edge by ground staples holding fluoro yellow plastic tape. The tape is bordered much of the way by piles 30-60cmW of decomposing Tradescantia, providing restored habitat for invertebrates and leaving a weed-free area beyond for revegetation, thereby assisting regeneration of trees rooted at a distance that will not require either weekly vertical pruning or cutting at ground level to keep the path clear.

Once such juvenile trees or other resilient vegetation appears and is clearly recognisable as regeneration to be maintained and protected, the Tradescantia piles will be amalgamated and gradually removed, should ongoing funding be available for this work.

We have reduced some of the Elaeagnus invasions at least 5mH on the steep bank along the opposite side of the path, as in addition to suppressing and destroying native vegetation including mature trees on the bank above, these Elaeagnus bushes were forcing walkers onto the revegation edge, including the root buttresses of mature canopy trees eg mahoe, pate, kanono, with juvenile kanuka, which are now dying or dead along with the carex and ferns that surrounded them.

We have applied for Local Board funding to maintain this path restoration work both within our Trial site and beyond, as funding permits.

EDIT: We applied for funding only for a few cutting tools for reducing the Elaeagnus, and a handheld GPS to assist site mapping and communication, and the accuracy of observation locations. The time involved would continue to be volunteer.

Posted on July 25, 2019 09:38 PM by kaipatiki_naturewatch kaipatiki_naturewatch | 0 comments | Leave a comment