Supporting BMHET

During conservation week (5-11 September 2022), Bluff Motupohue Hill Environment Trust (BHMET) set out an ambitious target: to put 20,000 native plants into the ground during the week. With the help of corporate and individual volunteers, we beat the target!

The focus was to plant the urban fringe – the 20m strip behind the residential area. This is a great win-win-win: ICC wins because they won’t need to keep the strip cleared of gorse; the residents win because they have native bush all the way to their back fence; and our birds win by expanding the amount of native habitat.

In addition, a large area of scrubby gorse and bracken was cleared at Gunpit – including a large area cleared of gorse by a resident. This was designated as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee planting event on Saturday 10th September which saw generous support from Trees That Count and Te Tapu o Tane. Sadly, Her Majesty died just a couple of days before the event and so it became the Queen’s Memorial planting event.

Installing 20,000 plants is a remarkable achievement and BHMET could not have done this without the many volunteers that supported the goal from Te Ao Marama Inc, South Port NZ, The Building Information Group; WSP Invercargill; Environment Southland, Department of Conservation, Invercargill City Council, The NZ Abalone Company, Awarua Whanau Services, St Teresa’s School, Bluff School.