Nor'West News: May 27, 2021

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Thursday May 27 2021 3
Planting project marks Arbor Day
A MAMMOTH planting
project this weekend marks the
start of a plan to reduce the risk
of flooding in Mairehau and
urban Christchurch.
Conservation Volunteers New
Zealand is hosting their first,
big Cranford Basin community
planting day of the winter season
on Saturday in conjunction
with the city council.
The event also marks World
Environment and Arbor Day.
CVNZ’s conservation officer
Donna Lusby said they were
also offering community planting
days during the week for
businesses and organisations
to be part of creating a living
legacy for the city.
“It’s a great chance for organisations
to muck in and work
together to plant a forest, with
benefits for the team as well as
carbon off-setting and giving
back to the environment,” Lusby
said.
Cranford Basin will be transformed
over the next decade
into a multi-purpose space,
primarily providing stormwater
retention services, but also a
space for recreation and biodiversity.
City council parks programmes
and partnerships
manager Kate Russell said the
planting day marks the start of
the mammoth task of planting
CONSERVATION: Thousands of trees will be planted by volunteers at the Cranford Basin
this weekend to mark World Environment and Arbor Day.
PHOTO: NEWSLINE
40,000 trees in the Cranford
Basin,
”CVNZ has taken on the
challenge of creating the largest
group of kahikatea in Ōtautahi
Christchurch since pre-European
times,” she said.
“The kahikatea is Aotearoa’s
tallest native tree and loves
wetland areas. When mature,
they will be a food source for
kereru, bellbird and maybe one
day, even tui.”
More than 7000 of the native
conifer have already been
planted in the basin to date,
Russell said.
The rest will be planted this
season with three other public
events planned in June, September
and October.
The project is part of the
Matariki Tu Rākau One
Billion Trees programme,
which was launched on April
25, 2018, to mark the 100-year
anniversary of the end of the
World War 1.
The planting event runs from
10am to noon. Gumboots or
sturdy footwear and gloves are
essential.
The Richmond Community
Gardens will be providing soup
for volunteers who take their
own mug.
To register for the event,
visit https://bookings.
conservationvolunteers.
org/project/cranford-basincommunity-planting-days
‘Awesome’
experience
• From page 1
“It was a really exciting game. In
the last eight seconds, the Tactix
scored a winning goal. I was so
excited, I jumped into the air,” she
said.
Henrietta said the whole experience
was “awesome,” especially
standing centre court with Watson
– her favourite player.
“The captains were so tall. I
think she’s a really good defender
and she shows good sportsmanship
which is really important.”
Henrietta cannot wait to catch
up with her own netball team and
tell them how the Tactix scored the
win.
“You’ve got to jump high a lot
and pass the ball to your teammates
so they can score. I like helping
my teammates,” she said.
ANZ head of sponsorship Sue
McGregor said ANZ is committed
to its support of netballers in
Aotearoa from local Christchurch
players, right up to the elite athletes
in the ANZ Premiership and the
Silver Ferns.
“We hope this experience
inspires them to remain passionate
about their training and to try
their very best on the court.”
Applications for the ANZ Future
Captains programme are now
open at anzcourtside.co.nz
JOIN US NOW!
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