Rained off, and the track closed
Forty-nine plants went in between working bees, the July planting was rained off, the plant protectors warped, and flood damage closed the Cape track.
By Trish Shirley
A month with nothing dramatic in it, which is most months.
Forty-nine natives went in between working bees, and the rain that followed did them good: “the plants seem happy”. The scheduled Sunday planting was rained off altogether, and the plants for it went home in mixed trays to wait.
The rain was less kind to the plant protectors. The cardboard guards warp in heavy rain, and one short bamboo skewer is not enough to hold one up.
We need to systematically go through and shore them up.
Between the Forest & Bird nursery and one member’s own there were still several hundred plants waiting, and it was hoped to have them in by mid-spring — which at the current rate meant four more working bees.
The other news was less welcome: the Cape track was closed by flood damage. The Matariki planting had already been cancelled.
We need to agree on a date for our next big push, but in the meantime we intend to chip away at it as time and energy permits.