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Once a month, a group of at least a dozen keen gardeners make the trip across Kawau Bay to spend the day mowing, pruning, weeding, digging and planting the heritage grounds surrounding Mansion House.
The green-fingered visitors are all volunteers and at last month’s working bee, which coincided with National Volunteer Week, DOC staff and rangers joined 30 of them on Kawau Island to celebrate a decade of their caring for the gardens and to officially recognise their contribution to conserving the popular heritage site.
Gardening group founder member and coordinator Jenny Hunter, who was presented with an engraved jewellery box from DOC, said the core of the volunteer group were members of the Coatesville Country Garden Club, but others came from Mahurangi, the North Shore and from corporate volunteer programmes.
She said it was rewarding to work in gardens that contained a wealth of exotic plants, many of which were first brought to Mansion House in the 1800s by former owner Governor George Grey, and there was always plenty to keep the group busy.
“The grass can get pretty long in a month, but by the time we’ve finished, it’s looking pretty good again,” she said.
“We can see that the site has benefited from ongoing care and attention.”
DOC operations manager Kat Lane said volunteers played a vital role in protecting natural and heritage sites across the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, and she was very thankful for the gardening group’s support and expertise.
In addition to the gardening group, volunteers visit Kawau Island to engage with the public at weekends and on public holidays, and clean and catalogue the historic interior and chattels of Mansion House.
New volunteers are always welcome.
Info: Go to www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/volunteer/in-your-region/auckland/kawau-island/
