My Account
Every year, TOSSI in partnership with Auckland Council host public planting days at Tawharanui on the first Sunday in June, July and August. Each day, 5000 trees are planted. But what happens behind the scenes to make this all possible, and what happens when all does not go according to plan?
Firstly, the plants need to be grown. This is achieved at the on-site nursery where volunteers propagate more than 18,000 plants each year.
The plants then need to be set out on the planting site. When the planting volunteers arrive, all the plants are on site at one-metre spacings, ready to be planted. This is done on the Friday before planting with a mostly volunteer team, supported by a team of Council rangers and several paid labourers who help with the heavy lifting. The plants are selected and loaded on to trailers to be transported to site. The plants are stored and transported in crates that hold 20 PB3-sized plants each and require two people to lift them. When the crates are unloaded they are carried to appropriate locations on the planting site. These sites are generally on hillsides, so this is physically demanding work. The day ends early afternoon. Volunteers can head home, relax and recover, so they are ready for planting on the Sunday.
At 9am on planting day, planters arrive, sign in, are briefed and then head off to plant. However, the hosts are there well beforehand so that the marquee can be erected, spades prepared, tables set up, signs placed, and other preparations completed.
Generally, all plants are in the ground and we return at around midday for a well-earned BBQ lunch prepared by the volunteer caterers.
But what if all does not go well? Such as at this year’s June planting day. We experienced torrential rain, with thunderstorms later in the day. Due to the weather, we only had 24 planting volunteers and four rangers turn up. This was well short of the 80 plus we could have expected on a fine day. The result was only 1500 plants in the ground before the day was called off. The question was, “What happens now?” Over a hot lunch back in the wool shed, we agreed to complete the job the following weekend. It seemed like an easy decision but there was still a lot to do to make it happen. The catering team needed to prepare, communication with volunteers had to be organised, equipment secured and we needed to hope for fine weather.
All this was achieved with 60 volunteers, plus rangers who gave up their day off to help. The remaining plants were put in the ground, and we were back for lunch before midday. It’s great to see what can be done when the odds are against us. Thanks to all involved.
Roger Grove, TOSSI
www.tossi.org.nz
