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Last Saturday, eighty guests gathered on Awhitu School grounds to celebrate twenty one years of environmental work by Awhitu Peninsula Landcare volunteers.  The afternoon began with welcome nibbles and drinks, and under blue skies in balmy temperatures, it was not so easy to tempt everyone indoors for the formalities.  George Flavell, Ngati Te Ata kaumatua and long time Awhitu Landcare supporter, began proceedings with a beautiful karakia.  

A presentation by Landcare followed, documenting the huge body of work the group has carried out since its inception in 1994 – including scientific research, erosion control, beach care, a community recycling centre, field trips, workshops, local employment opportunities, newsletters and articles, Environmental Award programmes.  Two of the group’s main activities – plantings and pest control – were highlighted.  Awhitu Peninsula volunteers have carried out planting and weed control in no less than 12 public sites on the Peninsula.  In addition, they have propagated and grown most of the trees for these sites, at no cost to the public.  Establishing a community plant nursery at Matakawau in 2012 was a particular milestone, giving the group a permanent base from which to carry out their environmental work.

Predator control is possibly the activity most Awhitu landowners know the group by.  Thanks to a huge drive by Landcare volunteers and the community in 2004, the Peninsula was officially designated a Pest Control area.  This means that Peninsula landowners receive some assistance from Auckland Council to control pests.  Before the programme was put in place, pests were controlled by shooting – a typical night’s tally being 137 possums!  Thank goodness those days are long gone, although the battle to control these pests continues.  Judged to be worth all the effort though, as every resident on Awhitu in the 1990’s knows how very different our native bush looks and sounds now, compared to those ‘bad old days’.

In 21 years it is estimated Awhitu Landcare has dealt to 25,000 predators and planted 200,000 native trees.  Achievements to be celebrated, for sure. 

Kevin Hackwell of Forest & Bird gave the audience a stimulating presentation on the possibility of a ‘Predator Free NZ’.  It is Kevin’s opinion that this is definitely not just a pipe dream, but something which, by utilising new technologies, will become a reality – perhaps even as soon as 2040.  Now wouldn’t that be a superb achievement to mark the 200^th year of the Treaty of Waitangi. 

Kevin emphasised that predators are the Number One threat to our native biodiversity (now that habitat loss, such as logging of native forests, has virtually ceased).  He put it very simply “ if it has four legs and hair – it does NOT belong in our NZ native forests.”

Kennedy Warne, writer, photographer, traveller, who co-founded and edited NZ Geographic and regularly speaks on Radio New Zealand, touched many people’s hearts with a moving address.  He believes that many ‘urbanites’ these days wish to give something back to their environment, and that it is important for groups such as Awhitu Landcare to motivate people, and enable this to happen.  We just need to be, as Kennedy puts it:  ‘Re-storying the Restoring’ - so that we capture people’s imaginations, and thus their hearts, inspiring others to continue to ‘restore’ our precious NZ environment. 

A ceremonial cake –cutting by award-winning environmentalists Jack Harper and David Craig, a visit to the community plant nursery, and a scrumptious afternoon tea provided a fitting end to the day’s celebrations.  In closing, Adam Scattergood, Landcare Nursery Manager and MC for the day, paid tribute to the many volunteers over the past 21 years, saying “each and every one has played a part in helping Awhitu become the unique environment it is today”.