Trees please!

This winter, we’re planting 3,000 native seedlings at Tārapuruhi Bushy Park to help restore two hectares of retired paddock into thriving native forest.

All of these trees have been raised in our onsite nursery, cared for over months by dedicated volunteers who’ve given countless hours to grow them from seed. Now, they’re ready to go in the ground – and our team is eager to see their efforts take root.

But without protection, many seedlings don’t survive. While we don’t have rabbits, we do have pūkeko and cheeky kererū who love pulling out freshly planted trees. And it’s disheartening to see all that hard mahi undone – seedlings overgrown by weeds or ripped out before they’ve had a chance to establish. Last year's seedlings survival has been increased massively with these protectors.

All our funding applications have been unsuccessful so far. That’s why we’re thought we could ask the community to help fund tree protector kits.

Each kit includes:

- A wool mat to suppress weeds and keep moisture in

- A biodegradable tree guard for shelter

- Stakes to secure and support the plant in this windy spot

Just $5 sponsors two full kits, but any amount is welcome. Every donation helps us protect more plants and honour the efforts of our volunteers.

Ngā mihi nui,

— The Tārapuruhi Bushy Park Team