Contribution to conservation recognised

 

Marunui Conservation’s John Hawley is not only concerned about animal predators that kill kiwi and other native birds. He’s also aware of the damage weeds can do to native forest and the environment in general.
 
With local Mangawhai resident Belinda Vernon, John helped organise a start-up meeting for a locally based Weed Action group. This was followed by their first public weeding event at Mangawhai Heads beach lookout. 

Soon local residents will also get the benefit of their own community store for equipment and herbicides once safe storage and access issues are resolved.

John had major input to the Piroa-Brynderwyns Landcare (PBL) group’s 5-year management plan that underpins targeted rate funding from the Northland Regional Council for predator and weed control. 

His contribution to local conservation was recently recognised at the annual PBL Awards with the inaugural Weed Warrior Award.

“An individual can make a difference but the real rewards come as a result of large-scale community effort,” he says. “This includes the trappers, weeders and the school kids targeting moth plant. Well done all.”

Mangawhai Beach School pupils are the latest to join with the Weed Action Piroa-Brynderwyns group, tackling some of the area’s worst environmental weeds. Nancy Halse, Weed Action’s Coordinator, recently spoke to the school about moth plant, a really nasty and highly invasive weed, and how the children can help get rid of it.

Moth plant climbs into the canopy, smothering its host. The cream-coloured flowers in January produce large choko-like seed pods, each filled with hundreds of thistle-like seeds that are wind dispersed. Before the pods burst is the best time to cut them down and prevent a new crop. Wear gloves as the stem sap is an irritant.

To make it easy to get rid of seed pods bins have been provided at Orang Tang in Mangawhai and at Hammer Hardware in Waipu. A large number of pods have already been collected in these bins reducing the number of seeds and new plants in the district. The bins will remain in place until the end of July.

 If you think you have moth plant on your property and need advice, contact Nancy Halse, 021 321 017, email nancy_halse@gmail.com, or go to weedaction.org.nz/moth-plant/

John Hawley with the PBL Weed Warrior of the Year Award, 2019. It was a group effort he says.