Rod’s vision sows seeds of tomorrow
Former navy commander leads Northland replanting projects manned by volunteers Brass band leader hits right note
Rod Brown Environment Centuries from now, when Northlanders look out over a Bay of Islands dotted with thriving native forest and raucous with bird calls, one of the people they will have to thank is Rod Brown.
The former navy commander, 76, is the driving force behind The Shadehouse, a volunteer-run nursery which has so far supplied a quarter of a million native plants and trees for replanting projects around Northland.
That effort — and his many other community and environmental roles — has seen him nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award.
Mr Brown retired to Kerikeri after careers as a navigation specialist with the navy — one of the ships he commanded, Tui, is now a dive attraction near Tutukaka — and as a planner helping to build Starship Children’s Hospital.
His epiphany came in 2000 when he was helping the Department of Conservation rid an island in Kerikeri Inlet of weeds and discovered, smothered under moth plant vines, a half-finished replanting project. He resolved to complete it, but first he needed several thousand seedlings.
He set about restoring an abandoned plant nursery behind DoC’s Kerikeri headquarters, learned how to propagate plants, and gathered volunteers. Once replanting of Motupapa (Cocked Hat Island) was complete he started on Motukawanui in the Cavalli Islands. Now his main focus is the Bay of Islands, where replanting of Waewaetorea Island was completed in 2012. Volunteers are hard at work this winter on Urupukapuka and Moturua Islands.
As well as growing the seedlings,
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prideofnz Mr Brown organises regular planting days in which up to 100 volunteers head out to the islands to lend a hand.
The Shadehouse now produces about 25,000 shrubs and trees a year for 35 different restoration projects from Leigh to Cape Reinga. So far 250,000 have been grown.
Mr Brown is also deputy chairman of Guardians of the Bay of Islands, a group which, along with DoC and Rawhiti iwi, is restoring the islands sprinkled between Russell and Cape Brett. Called Project Island Song, the ambitious community-driven project aims to bring back the islands’ original plants, birds and insects.
Mr Brown also chairs the community planning group Vision Kerikeri. John Sullivan Community Spirit When John Sullivan’s father could no longer stand the sound of his son’s poor instrument playing, John jnr was marched down to the North Shore Brass Band, signed up for lessons and is still there, 38 years on.
What began as music lessons morphed into a lifelong engagement with the brass band community.
Mr Sullivan, a cornet player, not only plays in and manages the band but is also the national vicepresident of the Brass Band Association of New Zealand.
He has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award in the Community Spirit category for his dedication to brass bands and the support he offers for all involved.
“He selflessly keeps nearly 70 brass and percussion players organised and happy,” his nominator said.
As a business-owner and father, his musical interests can be a “full-on commitment” but he considers the familial culture of the band as something unique. “The special thing about being with the brass band, is that I can be in the same band from the age of 11 or 12 until now,” Mr Sullivan said.
His nominator said: “John inspires through not just his fine playing, but also the over-arching leadership he offers a growing band of musos.”