Pohutukawa Coast now includes range of species

Whangarei District Council and New Zealand Refining Company are giving away 1400 young Pohutukawa and 200 Kauri trees, free to keen growers.

Whangarei’s Pohutukawa Coast programme is celebrating its 21st year with the distribution of a greater diversity of plants.

Whangarei District Council and New Zealand Refining Company are giving away 1400 young Pohutukawa and 200 Kauri trees, free to keen growers. For the first time, there will also be 200 Northland Hebe, 200 Flax and 200 Kowhai available from Botanica Whangarei.

Pohutukawa Coast was originally set up in 1991 to help re-establish young Pohutukawa trees along our coastline. Whangarei District Council Parks and Recreation Manager Paul McDonald said the young trees and shrubs have been grown especially by Tawapou Coastal Native Nurseries at Tutukaka and will be available again this growing season.

This will bring the total number of trees distributed since the project began to 44,000. The New Zealand Oil Refining Company has donated $5,000 towards the cost of growing the pohutukawa, kauri and shrubs to a good size for planting out.

“We are telling people to be in quick because there is a limited supply of plants,” Mr McDonald said.

“To ensure the plants are distributed evenly there is a limit of one plant per household. If you represent a large community group you can leave your contact details and if plants remain at the completion of the programme then more plants can be made available to you.”

Whangarei District Council Parks and Recreation Department and the Northern Branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Society will assist with the distribution of the trees and shrubs, as they have done in the past.

Anyone wanting to take part in this exciting project can contact one of the coordinators listed below and arrange to pick a free tree:

• people living in the north of the District should contact Botanica Whangarei in First Avenue between 10am and 4pm, 7 days, on +64 9 430 4200 ext 8738 or 027 477 0518
• Tutukaka Coast residents may pick up trees from Tawapou Coastal Natives Nursery on +64 9 434 3971
• southern residents may pick up trees from Nola McCullough on +64 9 432 8332
• people living to the north-east and in Whangarei Heads can pick them up from Alan Willis and Rona Mahy-Willis on +64 9 436 2808.

Whangarei District Council would once again like to thank everyone who has made this year’s pohutukawa, kauri and shrub planting possible. Special recognition goes to the volunteer distributors who provide this valuable service for the community year after year.