Nominations for the 2010 Weedbuster Awards close on March 31. It’s now time to down tools and get nominating.
Environment Canterbury, the Department of Conservation and a number of local councils hold the Weedbuster Awards every two years to recognise people who help manage pest plants in Canterbury. This work is done in volunteers’ own time, and many also promote weed awareness or education in their community.
Entry is open to individual volunteers and people who are part of a community group or an industry initiative. Volunteers may receive financial support from grants to cover operational costs, but time spent doing the work must be donated. There is no age restriction and people can nominate themselves.
The last awards in 2008 received 14 nominations from across Canterbury, seven of which were nominations for groups and individuals working in the Port Hills/Banks Peninsula area.
Taylors Mistake resident Keith Briden won the Canterbury Unsung Hero award for his dedication to killing the yellow plant pest boneseed. He showed classic Kiwi ingenuity in developing a new Weedbusting tool to allow him to spray hard-to-access boneseed plants on cliff sides, without the need for specialist abseiling equipment and expertise.
Ian Jury of South New Brighton and Sally Tripp from Governors Bay were also highly commended for their individual efforts in Weedbuster activities. The judges also highly commended the Summit Road Society Weekenders work on public land with their focus on new and "upcoming" weeds, preventing these plants getting a foothold. In 2007 they achieved a noticeable reduction in pest cotoneaster species in Victoria Park.
Canterbury regional Weedbuster Co-ordinator Gemma Bradfield (Environment Canterbury) said that although the Port Hills/Banks Peninsula communities have featured strongly in previous Weedbuster awards, she thought there were still many under-appreciated volunteers around the Peninsula that may not know about the awards.
“They may also be unaware there are active regional and national Weedbuster networks they could plug into for help and advice,” said Ms Bradfield.
Environment Canterbury Councillor and Pest Chair Eugenie Sage said that the purpose of the awards is to give public recognition to the many people who give so freely of their time to fight a dirty and unglamorous war against weeds.
“It is always a pleasure to be able to congratulate and encourage the groups and individuals in our communities who often work quietly and unseen on weed control. Weed busting helps our native plants and wildlife survive and flourish. 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and so their valuable work is more relevant than ever,” she says.
If you think of a local school/group/individual to put forward for the 2010 Weedbuster awards, please visit www.weedbusters.org.nz or contact Gemma Bradfield (Environment Canterbury) 03 364 9860 to make your nomination. Entries close March 31.
Environment Canterbury Pest Management Committee Chair Councillor Eugenie Sage, can be contacted on (03) 329 3177 or 021 155 3937.