Working bee to restore the Kukuta¯ruhe
The restoration of the Kukuta¯ ruhe Gully took another small step at a working bee on Saturday.
The 12-hectare gully sits between the boundaries of Waikato Diocesan School for Girls, Fairfield College and residential housing. Parts of the gully were ‘‘really derelict’’ from urban encroachment and invasive weeds, Kukuta¯ruhe Education Trust chairman Vic Arcus said.
The trust leases the land from the Ministry of Education and wants to restore the gully and educate students in the process.
This latest exercise was part of a science project for the Diocesan students. It was based on how to clear weeds and what to plant to restore areas, Arcus said.
For the students, it brought in educational opportunities on a wide variety of subjects, including science, mathematics, biology and history through its partnership with Nga¯ ti Wairere.
‘‘The whole emphasis is looking at the place as an ecosystem. The idea is that the native plants provide an ecosystem for native birds, insects and lizards.’’
On the other side of the gully, year 9 and 10 Fairfield College students were undertaking similar work to restore the gully on their side.
‘‘The whole idea is to get all of the kids involved in restoring the place and learning.’’
Arcus said it would take 50 years to properly restore the gully and it was being done in partnership with Nga¯ ti Wairere. It was being completed in stages.
The trust holds community working bees on the third Saturday of every month and the project is funded by the Waikato River Authority and DV Bryant and Len Reynolds trusts.
‘‘We will know when we have finished, because there will be pigeons flying up and down.’’
Ecologist Bruce Mackay said the students will plant up the bank with 1200 specimens, including to¯ tara, kahikatea, five finger and ka¯nuka. These pioneer species would provide cover once they have grown.
Before planting can begin, the area needed to be cleared of weeds and the wood half buried in the soil. He and the rest of the 20 volunteers, a number of them students and teachers from the two schools, gave up their Saturday morning to rake dead grass and vegetation on the steep gradient into piles on the gully bottom.
Further along the stream bank was a bucket full of rubbish collected. And stacked metres away from Mackay was a large pile of half-rotten wood.
‘‘That will eventually become a habitat for lizards,’’ he said.
Closer to the gully bottom, the volunteers planned to plant cabbage trees and flaxes, he said.
Mackay said that eventually, the work will link up to the Fairfield Project, which has concentrated on restoring the other side of the gully.
‘‘We’re trying to do this as an educational example for schools in this part of Hamilton. That side will involve more than just Fairfield College and Dio, but other schools as well.’’
It was also enjoyable, despite the hard labour involved.
‘‘You make so much progress in such a short space of time.’’