Okana River new home for 1300 native plants

More than 1300 native seedlings were planted in Banks Peninsula on Saturday, contributing to the health of Wairewa/Lake Forsyth.

Forty locals, families, water zone committee members, and Environment Canterbury staff donned waterproofs and warm layers to volunteer their morning in Little River.

The Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee run Wairewa community planting day as part of the Wairewa Bank Stabilisation Project, aiming to prevent bank erosion and restricting sediment loss into the lake.

By planting the native species along the banks, it enhances the health of the four sites along the Okana River, feeding into Wairewa.

Why does it matter if sediment gets in the water?

Historic deforestation of the catchment has meant erosion, and the subsequent loss of sediment into waterways and the lake has accelerated.

The phosphate-rich soils in the area mean the sediment is high in nutrients and causes summer blooms of toxic cyanobacteria – the likes of which was recently announced as a health warning by Canterbury District Health Board in Wairewa.

Reducing sediment and nutrients from entering the lake has become paramount, and the bank stabilisation projects address the issues at the source.

Environment Canterbury zone delivery lead for Banks Peninsula, Gillian Jenkins said planting days such as the Wairewa one are incredibly important.

“The success of the Wairewa Bank Stabilisation Project is a combination of both bank shaping work and planting to ensure the soil and sediment is held in place,” she said.

“The plants are all eco-sourced plants from the area, and we hope to see them flourish there independently and reseed. Not only will they help stabilise the banks of the waterways, but they will also add to the mahinga kai of the area and increase biodiversity.”

Why are projects like these important?

It is one of the Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee’s outcomes to have flourishing ecosystems reflecting mauri (special nature), kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and mahinga kai (cultivation) values in all streams flowing into Wairewa.

This contributes to the Committee’s vision for the zone, in maintaining and improving healthy waterways through the adoption of the 'ki uta ki tai' philosophy – from the mountains to the sea.

Find out more about the Banks Peninsula Water Zone Committee and the work being done in the area.

A handful of the 40 volunteers contributing to the health of the Okana River.

Environment Canterbury staff were also on the end of spades during the weekend.

Replenishing the front line with more seedlings to plant.