Christchurch Sunrise continued involvement with
the Westmorland East Valley Reserve
In August 1999 Sunrise Rotary joined with other
Rotary groups, Westmorland Residents and the
Christchurch City Council to plant native trees in
the Westmorland East Valley Reserve
A symbolic Totora tree was planted by the Mayor,
Garry Moore, the Minister of Conservation Hon
Nick Smith, and local MP David Carter. The Master
of Ceremonies was Christchurch Sunrise president
Ross Skinner. This tree is growing well today.
Christchurch Sunrise Rotary Club did several
additional planting exercises in following years.
In the intervening years a few locals have spent many, many hours planting, mulching, individually fencing and watering hundreds more native trees. For example: Kowhai, Flax, Cabbage trees, Olearia and AkeAke.
Saturday morning 8th July 2017, dawned clear & sunny. At least 13 Rotarians and partners & children joined an enthusiastic group of Westmorland residents and children and members of the Christchurch Tramping Club in a major planting effort in the valley.
The Christchurch City Council had donated 500 locally sourced native trees, the weed matting and pegs and mulch.
The small dedicated local team had prepared the ground on the steep hillside for each tree, with a dug over area, the sapling, the weed matting & pegs and the wood chip mulch a short distance away.
Hard work and lots of chatter later saw the majority of the trees planted within two hours. A very welcome cup of soup and a bread roll ended an enjoyable and satisfying morning.
The reserve is open to the public and warrants a walk through. From the top there is a tremendous view of the City, the Canterbury Plains & the foothills of the Southern Alps.
| Media Statement | Thursday 29 July 1999 |
Conservation Minister to speak at community planting day
All media are invited to attend a community planting day for the official opening of Conservation Week, at East Valley Reserve in Westmorland on Sunday the 1st of August.
In attendance will be Minister of Conservation Dr Nick Smith, David Carter MP and Christchurch Mayor, Garry Moore.
East Valley Reserve is located between Ravensdale Rise and Worsleys Road. It has been identified by Council Parks Planners as a potential "Core Wildlife Area."
The project is a co-operative effort involving the Christchurch City Council, Rotary and the Westmorland Residents’ Association.
The planting of 2500 native trees in the reserve will help the re-establishment of native flora in the area, says City Council Parks Project Co-ordinator, Steven Gray.
"It will play a key role in linking the reserves in the Summit Road region with
the urban fringe and will extend the habitat of wildlife that has been eroded in recent times."
Not only are the trees native but they are endemic to the area. We hope eventually to remove much of the exotic vegetation and return this and the other reserves to something that is closer to their natural state," he says.
Combining the resources of the Council and residents groups will benefit Christchurch as a whole says President of the Christchurch Rotary Club, Terry Donaldson.
"We hope that this joint effort by Rotary, the Council and Westmorland residents will help signal a commitment by community groups to plant new and significant areas of native trees."
For Further information
Steven Leiataua
Park Ranger 025 226 – 7450
Steven Gray
Parks Project Co-ordinator 941 8256
Terry Donaldson 358 – 1747 a/h 3519 683
President Rotary Club of Christchurch
Westmorland East Valley Reserve Tree Planting
Programme for 1st August, 1999
Meeting point: Opposite 323 Worsleys Road
8.30 am Committee arrives
Rangers arrive
9.30 am Tree planters arrive and start planting
10.30 Ross Skinner, President of the Rotary Club of Christchurch Sunrise
Welcomes everyone Particularly
- Nick Smith MP
- David Carter MP
- Garry Moore Mayor
- Christchurch City Council Councillors
- Members of the Wigram Spreydon Community Board
- Westmorland Residents’ Association
- Rotary District Governor, Art Bradbury Members of several Rotary Clubs: Christchurch, Christchurch Sunrise, Ashburton Plains, Avonhead, Christchurch West, Papanui, Riccarton
- Friends of Rotarians and Conservation
Special Thanks to
- Wigram Spreydon Community Board
- Rotary Clubs
- Westmoreland Residents Association
- State Insurance
- The Salvation Army
As a result of the funds raised for the day, there will be a small surplus of $400 which is being put towards a computer for the Salvation Army Team in Kosovo
10.40 am Garry Moore - speech
10.50 am Ross Skinner introduces Nick Smith, Minister of Conservation
10.55 am Nick Smith
Official Opening of Conservation Week
Official Tree Planting
Ross Skinner to close the official part of the day
ends