Residents told to make most of free fruit, nuts

CHRISTCHURCH: Christchurch residents are being encouraged by the city council to make the most of a fruitful opportunity by picking the abundance of fruit and nuts growing on councilowned trees across the city.

In total, there are 122,741 councilowned trees in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. Of these, 6846 are fruit or nut-producing trees.

‘‘The council has been planting fruit and nut trees in key locations throughout the city for many years. Planting around schools, for example, allows children to pick an apple or pear for lunch on the way to school,’’ council Smart City manager Michael Healy said.

More than 52 types of trees have been planted in and around the city. The most common are plum, European beech, crab apple, pear, walnut, honey locust and sweet chestnut trees.

‘‘Food foragers should be careful not to damage the trees when harvesting and only take enough for their own needs.

‘‘Foraging etiquette means people should care for the trees and leave enough for the next person, so everyone can enjoy the seasonal bounty,’’ he said.

Working in tandem with council specialists in geographic technology and green spaces, the SmartView map allows users to zoom in on foodbearing areas — often parks or roadsides.

The online map attracted thousands of views within days of going live.

The council said plans were under way to add more details about the trees such as harvest times, images of trees and useful links to help people identify and enjoy this free food. — RNZ