Southern View: June 22, 2023

Thursday June 22 2023 5
Volunteer work pays off
IT’S THE QUIET moments
in the afterglow of a hard day’s
work that volunteer Mick
Ingram enjoys the most.
“Sitting on the bank of the
Ōpāwaho Heathcote, watching
the birds come and go and
finding rare plants as the health
of the river returns – that’s the
highlight for me,” he said.
It’s National Volunteer Week
– Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu and
the focus is on honouring the
collective energies and respect
of volunteers around New
Zealand.
Volunteers contribute
about 598,000 hours a year in
Christchurch and on Banks
Peninsula, giving their time to
make the district a better place
to be.
Ingram has been working
with the city council for the last
eight years.
Over that time he has worked
tirelessly restoring Kennaway
River Reserve along the right
bank of the Heathcote near its
Woolston loop.
“This has involved removing
boxthorn, gorse and broom,
then re-vegetating the riparian
zones and surrounding area
with suitable native plants,”
Ingram said.
He can also be found
working on a lizard sanctuary
in conjunction with North
Canterbury Forest & Bird
and the city council to create
a habitat for native skinks.
“I work with a small group
of regular volunteers on
Kennaway River Reserve, there
are between three and eight of
us,” he said.
“Plus a local business and
local adventure therapy have
helped out with half days.”
It can be hard work. Ingram
said he’s spent “many, many
hours” at the end of a spade or
planting seedlings – but it is
worth it.
“The re-vegetation has
created areas where public can
access and follow a river-side
trail. During the lockdowns
many family bubbles were able
to walk and enjoy these special
urban ecological areas, and
they are continuing to do so! It
is great to see.”
But Ingram said he can’t do it
all alone.
“There are two other key
volunteers that have assisted
to make things happen at
the Kennaway River Reserve
and they are Bruce Stanton
and Ian McClymont. And, of
course, various (city council)
community and park rangers.
“It takes a team effort to get
things done.”
Would he recommend others
spend some time volunteering?
“Yes, because this has helped
better the city by rebuilding
communities in earthquake
recovery. It creates a sense of
contributing to the area you
live in.”
WORK: Mick Ingram is one of the volunteers restoring
Kennaway River Reserve next to the Heathcote River.
PHOTO: NEWSLINE
OFFICIAL: Summit Road
Society president Bill Woods
speaks at the John Jameson
Lookout opening.
Lookout
officially
opened
THE JOHN JAMESON Lookout
opposite the Sign of the Bellbird
on Summit Rd was officially
opened at a ceremony on
Saturday.
The platform looks out over
Lyttelton Harbour and features a
new car park, a panoramic panel
pointing out significant places
and a low wall made from Port
Hills stone.
Summit Road Society secretary
Marie Gray said the project cost
about $400,000 and was paid for
through grants and fundraising.
Construction work on the
platform started last May.
The platform was named
after the late John Jameson, an
honorary life member of the
society who advocated for the
enhancement of the car park area
above Ohinetahi Reserve.