Heartfelt thanks go to Sophie Hartnell, Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust’s Volunteer Co-ordinator and her team from Jacobs Engineering, who battled freezing fog conditions at Rod Donald Hut to plant 120 trees in the open grasslands.
This is the third year we have enjoyed the cheery company of these dedicated volunteers who showed true grit and determination to get on with the job despite the conditions. Thanks to our Hut Manager David Brailsford for having all the materials on hand to give these trees the best possible start. Each tree is protected with a woolly mat, tree guard to protect the stem and then another bigger tree guard to dissuade passing deer from taking a munch.
Thanks to Eco Gard for donating 100 of their environmentally friendly tree protectors.
Planting in the open grassland and monitoring how these trees survive and progress will help us to scope other planting projects – how much they cost and the effort and time involved and what sort of survival rate we can achieve in harsh conditions.
