The future of our forests are in good hands if the kids of Whangarei Heads School are anything to go by. Last week I spent some time with each class and we talked about the weeds invading one of their favourite places, Fern Valley. We talked about what those weeds would mean for the future of Fern … [Read more...]
What's New
Imitation – the sincerest form of flattery!
You know you are on to a good thing when other people start to copy what you are doing! Our community-led Weed Action project is providing inspiration for the Waipu-Mangawhai community to start up a similar project in their neck of the woods. Last weekend Weed Action coordinator Jo Barr ran a … [Read more...]
Free Kiwi Link Weed Control Workshop – Sunday August 12th
Are you knee deep in weedy species and not sure of the best tactics to beat the weeds in your neighbourhood? Come along to our weedy workshop focused on giving Kiwi Link landowners the advice and info (and herbicide!) needed to prioritise and tackle weeds as effectively as possible. Thanks to … [Read more...]
Thanks for using the Community Weed Bin!
Our Community Weed Bin trial is now finished and we are so pleased with how it has worked and how the community has used it, respected the bins purpose and followed the rules. Out of 5 very full bin loads, there has been only a small amount of non-target vegetation, and we only had to remove one … [Read more...]
The Community Weed Bin is here!
Community Weed Bin available now at the Parua Bay Community Centre! Bring in your invasive weeds and we will dispose of them free of charge The bin is located in the top carpark of the Parua Bay Community Centre. It is a bit of a pilot project, but we hope to be able to keep it there for a month, … [Read more...]
Trouble brewing below the surface….
Check out this video to see what's happening under the canopy up on Reotahi/Mt Aubrey. Out of sight, underneath the canopy of our incredible forests, there is a serious and growing problem. Wild ginger is quietly eating away at the integrity of our forests from the inside out. Wild ginger … [Read more...]
Are you in the zone?
Thanks to a grant from the WWF-New Zealand and Tindall Foundation Habitat Protection Fund, we are undertaking a special project to rid the southern end of the Whangarei Heads peninsula of elaeagnus and tree privet. Both of these weeds are a big problem for the Heads, but at the southern end … [Read more...]
Bugs and beetles join the battle!
It is not just people taking action to control weeds out at the Heads. We have two new weapons in our local arsenal. The first is the woolly nightshade lace bug (Gargaphia decoris). This biocontrol agent was released at two sites in the Heads early last year and has just been found at a new site, … [Read more...]
Why your backyard matters
Weeds are sneaky. They start off unassuming, a small seedling, a single tree, an isolated vine. At these early stages it’s often hard to even notice them, let alone recognise the potential for destruction that they can wreak. They don’t seem to be doing much, or going anywhere. It is often not until … [Read more...]
Whangarei Heads School gets a boost from Northtec Students
Fern Valley is a small piece of bush belonging to the kids of Whangarei Heads school. It is very important to them, and the site of many games and much hut building. It is a super cool asset for the school and the kids, but it is under attack from weeds like cotoneaster, eleagnus, agapanthus and … [Read more...]